This World Can't Tear Me Down

I don't want to spoil too much, but saying absolutely nothing about the plot makes it hard to explain why this series hit so hard. So, please mind: I'm only speaking about the setting and not the details of the plot.

A shelter for refugees is established in downtown Rome. And the series portrays a group of friends that split because they either want the shelter stay or be gone.

What the series does brilliantly is portraying the people who want the shelter to be gone. They are not simply evil monsters who hate people from oher countries, but have deep socio-psychological reasons for their stance. And likewise,people who defend the shelter aren't portrayed as do-goody angels, but people who have some agenda in it, making the whole thing morally grey.

It's not as depressing as Tear Along The Dotted Line, but is equally deep and sadly humorous. This is adult animation at its best.

Signore Calcare does it again.

It's really just season 2 of his own mind but like "Stroppare" there is an overarching narrative though here it is more front and center with fewer asides (but there are a few asides).

The first season was a hard act to follow but this story of how the people who brush in and out of our lives and how we end up feeling guilt for all we never did for them is touching in a candid way that goes just about far enough without over-complicating itself.

Zerocalcare, not unlike Art Spiegelman, has perfected the art of putting himself at the center of his art. He hasn't based his main character on himself but it truly is himself and while I am totally willing to believe at the very least some license was taken for the sake of good story telling, it is easy to accept this as a true story for its candour and brutalism.

As he weaves a rich tapestry in visual metaphor and a plethora of cultural illusions both classical and popular (mostly popular), the unromantic sting of real life glooms through rather hauntingly.

Zero's friends are more central this time around and their relationship is fleshed out which was cool. The soundtrack is creatively picked out and it captures a lush zeitgeist of both the Urban Rome that the tourists don't notice and the retro '90s.

It is a self-portrait created from the collisions with other people but the final note is that he knows very well that there's a world out there that's not all about him.

If you haven't seen the original Italian, please enjoy Zero just doing his thing.

The first serie was very cool and it set high expectations but ZeroCalcare has been able to exceed them. There is definitely a political aspect however, beyond that, there is much more. The stories of Zero and his friends are an excellent picture of the society and its contradictions which generate hate and social tensions. It is not an easy topic but he never slips into the essay, the stereotypes, the boredom, etc. This is remarkable. On top you have a lot of funny moments which burst laugh few seconds before an emotional moment. All together supported by an amazing soundtrack composed by original tunes, classic rock/pop songs and hidden gems.

This gem represents deeply what's the reality in the suburbs of Rome. What lies in the lives of a generation of people born in the 80', their values, what is worth fighting for, and all the uncertainties and existential questions that life puts in front of you every single day.

His language ( by that i mean the appearance of the characters and the way they speak) represents 100% how people from Rome express themselves, their being so sincere and so warm but at the same so sadly realist and hard-hearted, being used to the injustice of a society so difficult to live in. I felt so close to the main character, and the questions he tries to answer to, his attempt to understand what is right and what is wrong, and i believe that everyone should asks himself the same kind of questions.

Overall, I loved this series, it was very emotional and over all fun and compelling.

Another amazing part, first series Tear Along the Dotted Line was brilliant, sad and so enjoyable that I wished it had more episodes now we are treated with well I wouldn't call it a sequel but rather a continuation with This World Can't Tear Me Down, again 6 episodes in total like a longer movie in short and it's amazing. The story, the characters their views on life and things they are going through with choices they make, with adorable armadillo as conscience perfect. Honestly first season left me speechless it was like gut punch, this one is not that much hard but is still worth the watch, honestly Zerocalcare did it again, he made an amazing show. This show with its first part and my favorite anime show Castlevania is the sole reason why it's worth it to pay for Netflix. If you watched first part watch this, if you haven't watched the first part watch that and then watch this. I promise it will be worth it.