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The true measure of any piece of any serialized sports media, whether it is a traditional sports drama or sports anime, is the quality of said media’s tournament episode or arc. Because when it comes to sports media, there is always a tournament episode or arc (whether it is an episode or arc really depends on the exact nature of the series). There is no better way to showcase character growth and opposition than a series of sequential challenges where our protagonists must somehow rise to the occasion. A good tournament sits with you. A great tournament arc will have you preaching the praise for years to come.
I knew from the beginning of Cobra Kai that I was going to love the series, but the season 1 finale ‘No Mercy’ cemented that knowledge. The epic conclusion of the series proved that the showrunners understood the assignment and every subsequent season has maintained that trust whether through big brawls or the second All-Valley. Now of course, season 5 set the stage for the final season of Cobra Kai by introducing the Sekai Taikai, a fictionalized martial arts tournament that was really the only logical progression of a series that had been anchored in the Valley for decades (the occasional visit to Japan notwithstanding), and after five episodes of preparing for the tournament, it was time for five episodes at the tournament.
Picture this, Barcelona. Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai joining other dojos in a tournament at a scale that neither team had ever imagined. Rivals on the world stage having to reckon with the fact that the world stage may actually be better than them. This is the basic premise of Cobra Kai, Season 6, Part 2, and while I remain sad that I have to wait a few months for the conclusion for what has consistently been one of my favorite television series this last decade, I can at least acknowledge that the team is making good use of the time and 15-episode run.
My biggest concern with the structure was that part 2 would focus exclusively on the tournament (with some dedicated to Miyagi’s apparently sordid history with the tournament they dropped in the final moments of Part 1) and then only in part 3 would we reconcile the rest of the dangling plot lines when everyone was back stateside (the biggest one being Devon sabotaging Kenny during the qualifier). This fear was quickly assuaged as the show found clever ways to incorporate the coming and goings of those left behind in the states. (Although, obviously, I can’t really get into specifics since I very much want you to experience the deft storytelling firsthand.) It still anchors the narrative on Miguel, Robbie, Tory, Sam, Hawk, Eli, and Devon as Danny, Johnny, and Chozen dealing with the same fundamental conflict they had at the beginning of the series, and it truly shows that youth are at least willing to try change more than the adults. John Kreese is also there standing menacingly in the foreground since apparently extradition doesn’t really exist in Spain. (We continue not to have time to figure out how Kreese is able to travel internationally with such ease, and we continue to accept this as a fact.)
Being a full-blown tournament arc, we get the full monty of sports tropes, and this is a series that knows how to trope with the best of them. We got awkward team dynamics, interpersonal problems manifesting during events, and it’s honestly perfect. There are few shows that understand and leverage genre quite like Cobra Kai, and in their final season they are running a clinic in that if you execute on an idea well enough, it really does not matter if the idea has been done before.
Do the teenagers make increasingly terrible decisions? Yes. Do the adults make increasingly terrible decisions? Yes. Does the narrative progress in such a way that there is a moment where everything comes to an honest moment of reflection and self-actualization? Yes. And that’s not a spoiler, that’s just how tournament arcs work. For five years, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg have used the beloved characters that Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have truly embodied to modernize a beloved franchise, and we have seen Xolo Mariudna, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand, Gianna DeCenzo, Mary Mouser, Peyton List truly come into their own as leading actors. While Danny and Johnny are the foundation of the show, it is the younger generation that provides it with the soul.
That said, some of the other adult supporting cast manage to leave a mark. Courtney Henggeler’s Amanda continues to be a much-needed anchor for the series for being the seemingly one reasonable person who isn’t completely enamored with martial arts, and Yuji Okumoto’s Chosen remains one of the most redeemed characters in all fiction honestly. Lewis Tan made an appearance as the sensei of a rival dojo and managed to change the typical dynamics, so we appreciate that. And honestly, everyone involved is a fantastic addition to the world.
So from a writing, acting, and narrative standpoint, this is the same Cobra Kai that we have come to know and love. And that remains true from a cinematography and choreography perspective, as well. This is a series that knows its ending, and it showing off everything it wanted to do with the budget. The set pieces are bigger and better than ever. The fight sequences, the core of the series, are truly some of the best things they have produced. It takes a second before everything gets to full throttle, but once we get there, it is exhilarating.
The music choices remain iconic, and the orchestra scores accentuate the fights, training montages, and emotional moments in a way that will rock you to your emotional core. I’ve watched several scenes on repeat, and I await patiently for the rest of the internet to get their hands on the show so I can watch them on repeat from a YouTube player. There are a couple developments and choices I have some minor gripes with, but as always, the series itself remains incredibly well thought out for the most part.
So while I patiently wait for Part 3 of a show that I truly adore, I will also continue to stay awake at night wondering about the unified Karate Kid universe, because honestly, Cobra Kai has been the perfect modernization of the franchise, and I continue to not understand how the showrunners for a series that have maintained it in the zeitgeist are not involved. However, that’s besides the point.
Truly, all you need to know is that Cobra Kai has rightfully climbed to the world stage, and you should do yourself a favor and watch it immediately.
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The post Let’s Welcome ‘Cobra Kai’ (Season 6, Part 2) to the World Stage appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The true measure of any piece of any serialized sports media, whether it is a traditional sports drama or sports anime, is the quality of said media’s tournament episode or arc. Because when it comes to sports media, there is always a tournament episode or arc (whether it is an episode or arc really depends on the exact nature of the series). There is no better way to showcase character growth and opposition than a series of sequential challenges where our protagonists must somehow rise to the occasion. A good tournament sits with you. A great tournament arc will have you preaching the praise for years to come.
I knew from the beginning of Cobra Kai that I was going to love the series, but the season 1 finale ‘No Mercy’ cemented that knowledge. The epic conclusion of the series proved that the showrunners understood the assignment and every subsequent season has maintained that trust whether through big brawls or the second All-Valley. Now of course, season 5 set the stage for the final season of Cobra Kai by introducing the Sekai Taikai, a fictionalized martial arts tournament that was really the only logical progression of a series that had been anchored in the Valley for decades (the occasional visit to Japan notwithstanding), and after five episodes of preparing for the tournament, it was time for five episodes at the tournament.
Picture this, Barcelona. Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai joining other dojos in a tournament at a scale that neither team had ever imagined. Rivals on the world stage having to reckon with the fact that the world stage may actually be better than them. This is the basic premise of Cobra Kai, Season 6, Part 2, and while I remain sad that I have to wait a few months for the conclusion for what has consistently been one of my favorite television series this last decade, I can at least acknowledge that the team is making good use of the time and 15-episode run.
My biggest concern with the structure was that part 2 would focus exclusively on the tournament (with some dedicated to Miyagi’s apparently sordid history with the tournament they dropped in the final moments of Part 1) and then only in part 3 would we reconcile the rest of the dangling plot lines when everyone was back stateside (the biggest one being Devon sabotaging Kenny during the qualifier). This fear was quickly assuaged as the show found clever ways to incorporate the coming and goings of those left behind in the states. (Although, obviously, I can’t really get into specifics since I very much want you to experience the deft storytelling firsthand.) It still anchors the narrative on Miguel, Robbie, Tory, Sam, Hawk, Eli, and Devon as Danny, Johnny, and Chozen dealing with the same fundamental conflict they had at the beginning of the series, and it truly shows that youth are at least willing to try change more than the adults. John Kreese is also there standing menacingly in the foreground since apparently extradition doesn’t really exist in Spain. (We continue not to have time to figure out how Kreese is able to travel internationally with such ease, and we continue to accept this as a fact.)
Being a full-blown tournament arc, we get the full monty of sports tropes, and this is a series that knows how to trope with the best of them. We got awkward team dynamics, interpersonal problems manifesting during events, and it’s honestly perfect. There are few shows that understand and leverage genre quite like Cobra Kai, and in their final season they are running a clinic in that if you execute on an idea well enough, it really does not matter if the idea has been done before.
Do the teenagers make increasingly terrible decisions? Yes. Do the adults make increasingly terrible decisions? Yes. Does the narrative progress in such a way that there is a moment where everything comes to an honest moment of reflection and self-actualization? Yes. And that’s not a spoiler, that’s just how tournament arcs work. For five years, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg have used the beloved characters that Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have truly embodied to modernize a beloved franchise, and we have seen Xolo Mariudna, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand, Gianna DeCenzo, Mary Mouser, Peyton List truly come into their own as leading actors. While Danny and Johnny are the foundation of the show, it is the younger generation that provides it with the soul.
That said, some of the other adult supporting cast manage to leave a mark. Courtney Henggeler’s Amanda continues to be a much-needed anchor for the series for being the seemingly one reasonable person who isn’t completely enamored with martial arts, and Yuji Okumoto’s Chosen remains one of the most redeemed characters in all fiction honestly. Lewis Tan made an appearance as the sensei of a rival dojo and managed to change the typical dynamics, so we appreciate that. And honestly, everyone involved is a fantastic addition to the world.
So from a writing, acting, and narrative standpoint, this is the same Cobra Kai that we have come to know and love. And that remains true from a cinematography and choreography perspective, as well. This is a series that knows its ending, and it showing off everything it wanted to do with the budget. The set pieces are bigger and better than ever. The fight sequences, the core of the series, are truly some of the best things they have produced. It takes a second before everything gets to full throttle, but once we get there, it is exhilarating.
The music choices remain iconic, and the orchestra scores accentuate the fights, training montages, and emotional moments in a way that will rock you to your emotional core. I’ve watched several scenes on repeat, and I await patiently for the rest of the internet to get their hands on the show so I can watch them on repeat from a YouTube player. There are a couple developments and choices I have some minor gripes with, but as always, the series itself remains incredibly well thought out for the most part.
So while I patiently wait for Part 3 of a show that I truly adore, I will also continue to stay awake at night wondering about the unified Karate Kid universe, because honestly, Cobra Kai has been the perfect modernization of the franchise, and I continue to not understand how the showrunners for a series that have maintained it in the zeitgeist are not involved. However, that’s besides the point.
Truly, all you need to know is that Cobra Kai has rightfully climbed to the world stage, and you should do yourself a favor and watch it immediately.
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The post Let’s Welcome ‘Cobra Kai’ (Season 6, Part 2) to the World Stage appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
I was not familiar with Charles Yu’s original novel and namesake of the show. Perhaps the most ringing endorsement of Interior Chinatown is that after five episodes (half of the full season order, but all that was provided for the screeners) is that I ordered a copy of the book because I was intimately curious with how such a clever metatextual piece of fiction functioned in a text-based format, but I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself.
Interior Chinatown is a new series premiering on November 19th that plays jump rope with genre. Charles Yu also serves as the showrunner series, whose leading man is Jimmy O. Yang (who I was introduced to in Silicon Valley) and whose pilot was directed by Taiki Waititi (his production company is also one of sixth others involved with the series). The trailer itself spoke to all of my sensitivities. Crime procedurals. Asian American representation in media (specifically Chinese-American media, which should not come as a surprise given the title of the series). A slight film noir bent as Yang’s Willus Wu becomes an unsuspecting witness to an abduction and then becomes involved in a series of criminal investigations. You may remember, but Pornsak Pichetshote’s The Good Asian was one of my favorite comics of yesterday, and while Interior Chinatown had a decidedly more comedic bent, the fact that any comparison can be drawn in favorable.
The show wastes absolutely no time vamping off the genre it so clearly loves as Willis informs his friend and co-worker about the “cold open” and how in the beginning of every procedural we meet someone who is either about to be a witness or dead body. While neither happens immediately, it does set the self-aware tone between tongue-and-cheek references, head nods, lampshade hanging, and every single trope in the rule book, but this is a fantastic time to remind you dear reader that tropes are tools, and Interior Chinatown has a deep toolkit.
In short order, we get some internal narration, an introduction to BLACK & WHITE: Impossible Crime Unit (something that may or may not be an imagined framing device), and a run down that this is a story that will feel familiar as it has to deal with grief, specifically the disappearance of Willis’s older brother years ago. And throughout the ridiculous antics, the over-the-top language, and super intentional lighting changes, perhaps the most indicative sign post that this is a work of fiction is that the cops actually give a modicum of concern about culture, as they bring in Detective Lana Lee (former Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D alum Chloe Bennett) as a Chinatown expert. Soon enough Lana and Willis cross paths and shenanigans occur.
Throughout the five episodes I was able to watch, the show was marked by clever dialog, smart direction, and cinematography. While the first two episodes didn’t quite commit to the gimmicks it started to instantiate, by the third episode, the metafictional nature of the story was doubled down on and the show went from good fish out of water story to great metaphor about the Asian American experience pretty much in real time. Imagine Supernatural‘s “Changing Channels” except instead of “learning to play a role in the apocalypse” it’s “here are the societal expectations of Asian Americans in the United States,” and you have a solid idea of the show’s modus operandi.
Interior Chinatown is a show that revels in showing off. The episode names are perfectly idiosyncratic. So many of the experiences that Willis and his immediate circles go through ring true whether it’s the karaoke nights, the sharing of meals, the home movie VHSes. The scenes are staged with a discerning eye with intricate attention paid to the lighting, framing, and filters, and fight choreography that, while nothing extraordinary, is easy to watch and cut in a way that feels reminiscent of old Jackie Chan cop movies (which given everything was almost certainly intentional).
The individual episodes work in service of the larger serial, and while it takes a second for the myth arc to really materialize, it unified the quote unquote real and quote unquote dramatic narratives beautifully. And while Jimmy O. Yang’s Willis Wu and Chloe Bennett’s Detective Lana Lee are the clear stars of the show, the rest of the cast more than carry the screen time they are given. Whether that’s Ronny Chieng’s Fatty Choi covering for Willis at the restaurant and living through perhaps the most harrowing experience, waiting on white people, or Sullivan Jones’s Miles Turners and Lisa Gilroy’s Sarah Green perfectly capturing the mannerisms and mentality of every fictional modern cop blended into two archetypes. Lisa Gilroy particularly stands out when it comes to chewing the scenery. Although, I’m not too surprised by that since I adore her improv work especially what I’ve seen on Dropout.
All in all, Interior Chinatown is late entry in 2024’s must watch TV, but it definitely earns a spot at least on my list. Endlessly clever and inventive, the show is all of my favorite parts of procedurals with a sharp intent to use the genre convention to comment on being Asian American in ways that are both deliberately ambiguous but also deeply personal and specific. While I haven’t used old movies as the foundation to investigate my brother’s mysterious disappearance in a vague conspiracy, I have had the experience of attempting to learn more about family no longer with me only through the artifacts that they left behind. I’m a mixed Filipino American. The details don’t quite match up, but the feelings, the emotions of feeling like a background character, of having to subsume to specific roles, the expectations placed to do great things…all of those hit in all the best ways.
The full series comes out on November 19, and you can bet that I’ll be watching the rest of the series the moment in becomes available to the rest of the public because I am very much invested in seeing how it all turns out. And until then, I’m going to hope my copy of the book comes in so I can get an early glimpse and see the magic of meta-fictional work in a strictly screenplay format.
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AleksandarNakic / Getty Images 
When we’re fighting acne in our teenage or adult years, it can feel like a lifetime. The moment we eliminate one breakout, another is right around the corner. It can be an endless struggle that often leaves us frustrated. Thankfully, retinoids like tretinoin can put acne in its rightful place. It’s become trendy over the last few years for its ability to reverse acne and wipe the skin of any battle scars.
Dr. Nkem Ugonabo is a certified dermatologist who specializes in overall skin health and is all too familiar with the intense effects that can be caused by chronic acne. Although she understands how helpful tretinoin can be, Dr. Ugonabo is concerned with how people use the popular product. “Retinoids are probably the number one skincare product I see being misused. It’s easy to use too much!” says Dr. Ugonabo in an Instagram post.
That said, here is her guide to everything we need to know about tretinoids before using them.
What is tretinoin?Beyond tretinoin being a type of retinoid, it is also a source of vitamin A that can help with fine lines. This source of vitamin A can also be helpful for those with intense hyperpigmentation or struggling with severe acne. However, it is always beneficial to consider your skin type before using this form of retinoid. “People new to this ingredient, particularly those with sensitive skin, can experience irritation or dryness initially,” Says Dr Ugonabo. Thus, she recommends starting with a pea-sized amount. A great way to measure this is not going greater than the tip of your index finger.
What percentage is safe to use on the skin?We understand the urge to want to achieve the best skin possible. Living with carefree, clear skin is a dream we all want to live. Despite this, we must still understand that a major key to good skin is patience. Using a high percentage to achieve quicker results can hinder you on a surface level. “I typically recommend people start slow and build their way up. I usually start at a lower percentage (e.g., 0.025%); if the patient tolerates it, I may increase it months later,” says Dr. Ugonabo. Practicing the spot test before proceeding is also suggested. Focusing a small amount on one area to see how your skin reacts can be an excellent guide to what your skin can tolerate.
If you’ve been using tretinoin for a few months and are considering increasing your dosage, please contact your dermatologist. A licensed professional can determine whether increasing your dosage benefits or hinders your skin goals. If you’re in the New York City area, Dr. Ugonabo regularly practices this habit with patients. She mentions, “depending on how they are doing, I may recommend a higher potency if I believe it would lead to better results.”
Is it safe to use at home?Tretinoids are safe to use in the comfort of your own home. It’s all about being mindful of how we’re using them. Dr. Ugonabo advocates for using all retinoids, including tretinoids, at night. The product should be a prescription cream, gel, or lotion to be implemented into your regime easily. “I may recommend a pea-sized amount to the entire face, just a few nights a week, which should be followed with moisturizer,” says Dr. Ugonabo.
The dermatologist also recommends the sandwich method. Users would apply moisturizer, add tretinoin, and finish with another layer of moisturizer. TikToker Sarah Saleen demonstrates a perfect example of implementing the sandwich method for optimal results. The proof of this method is all in the results! Saleen’s skin is opposing from the early days of her healing journey.
Who should stay away from tretinoin?Not all skincare recommendations are created equal. What works for one person can be deemed unsafe for someone else. It’s a tease! How can a product produce beautiful results and be a danger to others? It all comes down to the ingredients, and because of this, it’s not safe for pregnant women. According to this study, tretinoin is connected to a medicine called isotretinoin. This factor is known to cause congenital disabilities in the heart, face, and brain.
TOPICS: acne hyperpigmentation tretinoinThe post Dr. Nken Ugonabo’s Ultimate Guide To Tretinoin appeared first on Essence.
Katherine Goguen
The Tatiana Monet brand story is told in different phases of a love’s chronicle, traversing the changing textures of start, growth, loss, and renewal. Last fall, designer Tatiana Monét debuted the first item in her eventual collection: a poplin skirt forming a tutu-like bubble over five layers of tulle. Like Monét, the skirt was playful but declarative, hinting at an anticipated ushering in her artistic vision. Over the next several months, the bubble skirt concept gained momentum online and off, prompting a limited-run pre-release of the garment as modeled by Herrana Addisu. That was on New Year’s Eve, and Monét diligently worked on her Spring/Summer 2025 collection in the months since, which debuted in Brooklyn to an audience of close friends and collaborators.
That original skirt eventually became the brand’s Little Black Skirt and represents the young brand’s developing iconography in textile and concept. For the collection’s showroom launch hosted in the converted retail studio of designer Yara Flinn, the garment is prominently displayed as an almost sculptural element among hanging accompaniments.
Tatiana Monet’s Collection 001 is entitled “A Brooklyn Love Story,” an ode to the founder’s own journeys through affection in its various stages. An upstate New York native now based in Brooklyn, Monét has navigated this stage in her creative and personal development through an evolved understanding of depth and how it affects her work. Each of her thirteen collection items—all sustainably made and unisex—reflects this concept of dimension, featuring accents that nod to where Monét was when she was inspired to create.
Katherine Goguen The intimate subtexts of her love stories take life in the items she has created and exemplify how affection can simultaneously be directed into multiple spheres. Tatiana’s garments prominently address one’s love for community and the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood’s impact on her sartorial evolution. Monet worked in real estate before moving to the city to pursue fashion design. Despite professional successes, she realized over time that a significant change would best achieve her desired ful decoding="async" src="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-1.jpeg" alt="Brooklyn-Based Designer Tatiana Monét Reveals Her Debut Collection" width="400" height="266" />Katherine Goguen
As “A Brooklyn Love Story” grew from the ideation stage, Tatiana was experiencing the impact of community-based love in real-time. The fashion designer did not arrive to abandon; they were welcomed, and celebrated. Their new home was a place where the streets pulse with the echoes of jazz and the vibrant energy of block parties, where neighbors become kin, and every corner tells a story. Some of the individuals from this period became collaborators during fittings, production days, and launch planning. Monét credits her friends with facilitating the fruition of her dreams dreams over the past year.
Monet’s debut collection takes a utilitarian approach to romance, offering structured, tailored garments that support fluid, confident movement. Many of the pieces are interchangeable for wear, presenting expansive opportunities for combination styling. Primary colorways flow between jet blacks, off-whites, and fiery reds, the chromatic embodiment of Valentine’s Day, a trio steeped in the iconography of romance and love. Red, bold and uncompromising, speaks to the intensity of passion, while white whispers of possibility, a blank slate where love can etch its narrative.
Black silks also ground this fervor in reality, reminding the Tatiana Monet patron that love’s depths are shadowed and profound. The rose, a motif in all these shades, enters as the ultimate symbol—delicate, fierce, and enduring—reflecting the myriad faces of love itself.
Katherine Goguen Tatiana explains that the Karla Top, a lined and structured bralette, can be purchased as a set with the Frederick Trouser or alone in cream and black Japanese cotton or luxurious red silk. The bra’s construction was “inspired by vintage balconette bras and elevated by complimentary grosgrain trim and straps,” Tatiana says.
The designer is a learned seamstress, training in the studios of Christopher John Rogers, among other decorated designers. During her months of draping, stitching, and fitting practice, she became a master of seams, which ultimately was brought to life in her debut collection’s offerings. The Karla top features clean vertical stitching, as well as two rows of hook and eye closures, underwire, and adjustable straps, which maintain support while allowing for a more revealing cut.
Accompanying themes of romantic and community love is the theme of self-affections, a concept materialized in expertly tailored functional pieces that take a comfort-optimizing oversized form. “We set out to make a trouser that was the embodiment of grounded confidence,” Monet writes via the official Tatiana Monet NYC Instagram page. Made of Japanese wool that gives enough weight to maintain form across different seasons of wear, the Kravitz pant evokes maximum power and confidence.
Katherine Goguen Each of these items presented at the physical launch was announced shortly prior in a digital campaign creative directed by the designer and her collaborator Ondrea Wheeler. The continuous world-building at play emphasizes the sum of Monet’s initial inspirations: desire and relationships. Love, as she exemplifies, takes many forms from romantic dalliances to the thoughtfulness of friends. These expressions of affection can >@tatianamonettt + Ondrea Wheeler @_witchdaddy_Photographer: Katherine Goguen @katherinegoguenTalent: Mammina @mckellyayorGaffer: Lukas Cardoni @lluk45Digitech: Creigh Lyndon @creighlyndonMakeup: Dior @onlyonediorHair: Renee Brutus @rowsbyreneeStylist: Shea Stiebler @s_m__s._Producer: Thandi Roe @thandiroeProduction Assistant: Sharmeen Chaudry @sharmeen.c
TOPICS: black designer christopher john rogersThe post Brooklyn-Based Designer Tatiana Monét Reveals Her Debut Collection appeared first on Essence.