Kumiko is the heroine of the 1986 film The Karate Kid, Part II and Daniel LaRusso's second girlfriend in the trilogy.
She is portrayed by Tamlyn Tomita.
Biography[]
Kumiko is the niece of Yuki, Mr. Miyagi's childhood girlfriend. She dreams of becoming a dancer and falls in love with Daniel, which provokes the jealousy of her brutish love interest, Chozen Toguchi. She shows Daniel that she cares for him by performing a traditional tea ceremony with him and accepting his offer to come with him to the United States. Although she gets captured by Chozen and his thugs and Daniel comes to her aid, Kumiko isn't afraid to stand up to Chozen herself.
When Daniel and Miyagi arrive at Tome village, Daniel and Kumiko begin to spend time together. Kumiko expresses her desire to become a dancer, although there are no schools for dancing where she lives. After hearing this, Daniel tries to convince her to come to America with him. After Miyagi accepts Sato's challenge to fight to the death, she and Daniel express their true feelings to one another by performing the tea ceremony which ends with a kiss, showing that the two are falling in love with each other. It seems that Chozen has a lust for Kumiko, which is further shown in one scene when Kumiko pelts Chozen's shirt with a tomato after Chozen threatens Daniel. Instead of returning the favor, Chozen smiles at Kumiko and takes his shirt off, saying "You keep, for your collection. I know you like it". Kumiko is last seen performing an O bon dance at the old castle outside Tome village. It is there she is taken hostage by Chozen in order to get Daniel to fight him to death. Daniel accepts, and Kumiko makes an effort to intervene by choking Chozen with a piece of cloth before being knocked out by him. Daniel wins the fight, and the two romantically embrace as the crowd cheers. It is revealed later in The Karate Kid Part III that Kumiko was offered a dancing career in Tokyo that she could not refuse, much to Daniel and his Mother's disappointment.
Cobra Kai[]
Kumiko would become a dancer as she always wanted.
Years later, she met Daniel LaRusso when he was travelling to Okinawa. She confirmed him that she had no boyfriend. She reunites him with Chozen and reveals to him that he's changed. After Daniel reconciles with Chozen, Kumiko reunites him with Yuna, who was able to help him save his dealership.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Kumiko is played by Tamlyn Tomita.
- Kumiko is the only love interest in the films who helps Daniel defeat the main antagonist.
| The Karate Kids Heroes | ||
|
The Karate Kid (1984) | ||