The Best Show Nobody Watched - Tear Along the Dotted Line 

It is only now, after watching through the entire series twice, writing and uploading the video that I'm realizing I've been saying the name wrong this ENTIRE time It's Tear ALONG the Dotted Line not Tear ACROSS the dotted line, fuck me

Actually this show was a huge hit in Italy, mostly because Zerocalcare is a pretty well known cartoonist, sadly I think seeing it in English changes the experience a lot, Zerocalcare talks in Roman Dialect, which can't really be adapted in other languages, so many of the expressions he uses and Italian cultural references are lost in the English dub

Quick note:Zerocalcare’s second Netflix Miniseries (“This world can’t tear me down”) ISN’T a sequel to “Tear Along the dotted line”, the author himself had to fight with the producers of the show to make sure that it wouldn’t get advertised as a “Season 2” (Even tweeting about it numerous times before the show would come out) Both products are their own thing, they tackle different themes and messages.

Fun fact, "Zerocalcare" literally means "zero limescale". As in that stuff that forms inside water faucets. Apparently, he named himself like that after a descaler commercial.

I love how the characters are designed to be honest

This show is actually huge in the Spanish community!!! We literally love it

OMG FINALLY SOMEONE TALKS ABOUT THIS SHOW!!

A couple of things 1) in Italian zero talks in romanaccio the Roman dialect 2)some character are a play on the dialect for example the mother is a chicken because she is a "chioccia" that other than female chicken also mean an apprehensive mother 3)the protagonist is the author, the stories are exaggerated but are real stories 4) zero is extremely left wing he grew up in one of the worst parts of Rome, he has seen what the rest of Italy ignore and has started his career by self publishing his stories in many "centri sociali", the first comics where a lot more political then the one he publish now with Mondadori but he never lost his political edge, this and the sequel are 2 faces of the same author

Hello, fun fact about his second show: The original title of "this world can't tear me down" has a slightly different meaning, it's "questo mondo non mi renderà cattivo", which is more along the lines of "this world won't make me bad", bad as in someone who's mean or a bad person at heart, evil, corrupt, hateful in a sense. "Can't tear me down" sounds like he's not gonna give up and he's gonna stand tall in a cruel, challenging world, however the original title's meaning is more similar to "I want and I will keep being a good person at heart despite a world that tries to change that".

From what I saw here, this guy is a LOT like me. The feeling of fear over change, the cynicism, the idea of letting life take you along the easy path. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone. People have gone through the struggle. People get it. I know this is just a review, but I’ll have to look into this. Thank you, Mark.

I hope that this show gets more attention, as an Italian I’m proud of this series! Thank you Mark for reviewing this!

This World Can't Tear Me Down is NOT a sequel to Tear along the Dotted Line, it's another story with the same basic set of characters and set in the same universe, but they're two independent shows. Zerocalcare uses this exact same approach with his books, or at least the ones I've read... Besides, I think This World Can't Tear Me Down is even better than Tear Along the Dotted Line, I like how much it is willing to pick a side and stand by it, not trying to appeal to every possible audience.

It was an HUGE shock for me, an italian, seeing an italian animated series for adults that not only was not absolute shit shit coff coff Adrian coff coff, but it was extremely delicate and good at exposing its themes! I'm glad someone with good international visibility talks about this show,really hope Zero's works of art will be more internationally famous, because my god if they deserve it!

As an Italian the show was actually a huge hit, Every single person I know as watched this, everyone single one either young or old people in Italy know about him, is because he is iconic even before the show, he is relatable. I get it why in other places it wasn’t popular but I am happy that other people are starting to notice this show, keep it up!

I love the creative comparisons the character makes for his own mind as it moves a million miles per hour Makes him immensely relatable

As someone who has that exact same problem with Avatar: The Last Airbender, the opening 20 seconds hit a little to close to home.

Thanks for reviewing this show! I'm happy that italian shows are starting to get attention in the general media! We got so many good movies,series and so on so it feels nice when a production from our country finally hits! Glad you liked it!

As an Italian (yes I'm based) I'm so happy this amazing show is enjoyed even in other countries, thanks Mark!

Really happy to see this show getting recognition outside of italy!❤

The show is popular in countries like Italy, Spain and part of South America, I don't know why it's so unknown in the US/UK, maybe some themes of the show are more relatable for both south european and south american audiences

The show was also a bit popular here in Brazil, mostly because the dub was really really good and Manolo Rey voiced the main character, he's a really well known voice actor, he is the brazilian voice of Sonic, Luigi, Porky Pig and Teen Titans Robin to name a few, and his voice on Zero was really really good and funny

Here in Italy this show and the “sequel” are like super famous for obvious reasons, but I can understand why they may be difficult to fully understand for a foreigner since the shows are so full of references to the life in that specific part of Rome, but I love the author and I’m so happy to see that his work is appreciated outside of our peninsula

You should talk about Dan vs. I feel it’s really under appreciated and isn’t really talked about by most people, this show is almost similar to it.

I remember Mark mentioning this but then never talking about it again. But as I started watching your video it made me realize how much of an intension it is that not only does every character sound the same, but you can see a dark twist coming.

The other animal guy at 9:19 is another friend of Zerocalcare and is name is Cinghiale, he appears a little bit more in the second series

Damn, i knew Zerocalcare was successful and got acquired by Netflix for the animated series, but i didn't expect it to even make such a huge impression in other countries as well. Some Italian pride i can share finally 🇮🇹💪 I can also safely say that was well-earned. Great video

Finally a Show that acknowledges the Horrors of being italian

Btw the mom is a chicken because she's Lady Kluck from Disney's Robin Hood (which is translated in italian as Lady Chioccia, with Chioccia meaning both chicken and mom/maternal in roman dialect)

another show that deserves more recognition is “Moral Orel” it was the first really dark adult animated cartoon

Show being voiced by 1 person goes to show how talented VA is

I watched this show a while ago, it really does show me that women’s bathrooms are way worse than men’s bathrooms

I watched this as an Italian, and it was AMAZING. The amount of details you miss from not knowing the language. Every poster, every Netflix series title (I can't remember what episode it was shown on) is a joke and the ending is so unexpected and emotional. People should learn Italian just to understand this series better hahhsh.

I watched the first 3 or so minutes of this video, thought that this show sounded like it'd be right up my alley, dropped this video, started the show up, and then finally finished this video after finishing the show in one sitting. Thanks for bringing the show to my attention Mark, it's a favorite of mine now!

CAZZO SIIIIIIIIIIIIII! finally someone to spread the knowledge of this masterpiece. Now someone make this reach nuxtaku PLEASE

this show reminds of how therapy is, you sit and tell stories about your life until we both piece together the greater issue and how all these events enforce your feelings or got you where you are now

glad people outside of Italy are discovering this series. It already feels nostalgic to me.

I was hoping you would eventually cover this show. Very quickly became one of my fav shows on netflix

This video made us (Italian viewers) feel so good. First of all, the fact that Italy can count at least a very good product is something we can't explain: usually we complain about our very own entertainment products, claiming they are all dull and/or charmless; Zerocalcare demonstrated that there are Italian artists who can do great stuff Second, the fact that this series has been appreciated even abroad is outstanding. We all, Italians and not, can enjoy this gem as well as (let's hope) future Italian projects Grazie, Zero ❤

I have never related to a show more than I did with this, so seeing more people talk about it and also relating to the same struggles and sentiment that Zero expresses makes me very happy.

This show is so goddamn good im glad someone’s bringing attention to it. You should talk about it’s sequel too

Glad someone on RU-vid is actually talking about this show, one of the best things experiences I’ve had with a cartoon

To address some of your perplexities: - Some characters are drawn as animals because most of Zerocalcare's stuff is somewhat autobiographic, meaning that most characters are is actual friends and family members. He draws them as animals (or even objects, one of his friends is depicted as a teapot) to protect their identity. Most Italians were probably familiar with this notion even if they hadn't read the graphic novel, because he did a short humoristic series depict his district during the Covid lockdown that pretty much everyone saw during those weeks. - The dub is weird because the original voice acting is unusual and extremely difficult to translate. The whole series is actually dubbed by Zerocalcare himself, who 1. isn't a voice actor and 2. doesn't speak in Italian but in the dialect spoken in his district in Rome. The dialect is extremely fast paced and many Italians struggled to understand it. The only exception is the Armadillo, who's actually dubbed by a famous Italian actor. I'm not sure rendering it as cockney English was the best option - although both the cockney dialect and Zero's are working class dialects spoken in a capital city - but I honestly wouldn't even know how to begin to translate TATDL in a way that would be more faithful to the linguistic vibes of the original.

Just wanted to say thanks for the recommendation, never heard of this and binged watched today. Sad that so many great shows seem to get buried on netflix for copy & paste adult animations. Keep up the good work

I just finished watching the video and wow did this throw you on an adventure. SPOILERS! The fact that Zero voices everyone gives a great storytime vibe but it does make you wonder why he is doing this. But then when we see his relationship with Alice it makes so much sense towards the end about the relationship. She commits suicide and she has a robotic filter on her voice because he doesn't remember how she sounds. Also something Mark didn't point out is how all of Zero's friends have different voices after the funeral establishing this as the real world in the present vs the other narrative of his inner thoughts while on the train going to the funeral. But then when talking about the conclusion as to why he is addressing this. He thinks he could have saved her but just never knew. And he learns he couldn't have saved her because as he says throughout the narrative, that everyone has their own problems they don't account for others' problems. I haven't seen thw series but the way Mark explains this is amazing

I wish some of the more independent TV Series, would get more praise, and support.

Of all the shows you could have made a video about, this would have been the last I would have thought. Zerocalcare is really popular here in Italy, and even knowing that this serie was dubbed for other regions, I sure wasn't expecting it to see it reviewed by non-italian people. Don't really care about the show tho. I'm just pleasantly surprised. Glad you enjoyed it

The whole reason why "This world can't tear me down" is different to "Tear along the dotted line" is because it's time forward. It was when the main character was pushing and perusing a career in comics and animation. Time went past. I, personally, enjoy it as well because you learn more about characters, Zero becomes more self aware, and it opens up conversation that people should talk about. I can understand if it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'd say watch all of it and make a decision

I would unironically love to see Mark talks about "This world can't tear me down" since for me it's the sequel that improve on what's already a Masterpiece for me

Now you Need to talk about "this world won't tear me down"

As an Italian I feel really proud of this series and it had an impact in Italy which is incredible, for the most part coming from the jokes which in Italian were perfect. I love the series and it’s sequel and I hope it gets a spike of popularity “the nightmare before Christmas” style

I think this show could've easily been insanely pretentious, but the creator's willingness to tear into himself without it feeling like it was forced for the sake of comedy saved it. It maintains a cynical and pretentious facade up throughout most of the run, but that's just the bare surface layer that hides a heartfelt show that clearly meant a lot to the person who made it. It's refreshing to see a show that, while not perfect, came from the heart and doesn't feel like it was sanitized for marketability.

Never thought I'd see Italian stuff on this channel. This show and its sequel are massively popular in Italy btw. Probably the most watched adult cartoons of the last decade or so.

This looks so 2000's, even the life-asserting message, I love it

As an Italian I would like to apologize to all english speakers that watched this show and had to sit through british for an hour and a half 😔

Fym nobody watched it? The hispanic, portuguese, brazillian AND italian community REALLY loved it. Tha't's like... almost a whole continent

So i got half way through this video then decided to watch this all in one go, ive never done that in for a video like when people say "go watch it before the video" i tend not too. But this time i did and i just was blown away, a lot of it hit close to home with Alice but it was a reminder for me and a healing too. I probably wouldnt have watched it if it wasnt for your video Mark so for what its worth, cheers mate.

You have no idea the euphoria I'm feeling seeing you talk about this show and letting more people know about it.

This show had me tearing up in the last 2 episodes, really makes you think about life and how should you live it exactly.

I am in Italy and I keep seeing quotes and memes from this show. Might give it a chance, plus it's rare to see new mainstream entertainment from Italy. Great stuff.

funny how im finding this video when I just finished tear along the dotted line today. I had the exact same experience with putting it off for years then watching the first episode and forgetting about it and HOLY SHIT I LOVED IT. I also really liked how the last video we fiinnaly are let in on whats happening, thus we finally here the characters voices and it makes sense why Alice was always done in a robotic voice.

First time that I heard the English voice actor and I think they did the right decision! It fit very well, considering that the Italian version use a very strong Roman accent, using a British one (but not high class) it’s a very good equivalent

In Spanish America it was a hit, and many people were talking about the series making fanarts among other things, so i was surprised to see you say that nobody saw the series (which seems to be the case in English speaking countries)

"The Show Nobody Watched" The entire population of italy: Am I a joke to you?

As an italian comic artist it felt so huge when this got made, to see a huge italian comic artist work with netflix and get that kind of recognition, i'm so glad you got to talk about it on your channel!

god finally somebody’s talking about this show!! i’ve rewatched about 5 times now - it’s just absolutely beautiful...

I binged this show and the sequel after you mentioned them in another video and I loved them both, fortunetly I was able to watch the original dub which wasn't adapted perfectly since in the original the characters have a pretty heavy Roman accent which makes everything a lot funnier somehow (imagine the whole show being in a REALLY HEAVY cockney accent).

that realistic armadillo is gonna be burnt into my head to the point where I cannot unsee it. and I love that

Oh I definitely watched it, the Arty's style captured my attention and I actually enjoyed the show😊

Finally someone talked about maybe the best animated show on the planet right now. Also the second series that world won't teare apart is also perfect!!

I absolutely adore this show. Anything done by Zerocalcare is soooo good 😭💜

6:30 in case anyone is wondering this quote is from Alfred Tennyson

I'm really happy this show is getting exposure beacouse its genuily great, one of my favourite things on netflix atm

no one around me ever talked about this show, now I need to check it out

Actually in Italy was pretty big. Happy that it receive more attention here :) Also while the voice actor did a good job the original voice give a more lay down and relax atmosphere

Lmao those first 20 seconds are literally the experience I'm having right now with my phone and this video playing distracting me from reading Transmetropolitan.

Mark: the show that nobody watched Me who watched it back in march: oh hello there

Netflix has cancelled so many good shows that I’m thinking on going to pirates.💀

i loved it, and im so glad youre giving it a bit more exposure with this video!

I love this show so much - So glad, that i found this show random on Netflix. It allways hits me so personal, when i rewatch it. Also read the translated Comics from Zerocalcare - also really good :)

Dude I loved this show and it was amazing. How did this not get more coverage when it came out. A brilliant story and I really hope you cover this world can’t tear me down.

Great video, I'll definitely be checking this show out. I hope you do a separate video on Dan VS. someday then!

hearing LS mark trying to pronounce Zerocalcare was entertaining

YES!! I'm so glad you made a video about this mark, zerocalcare's work deserves way more recognition overseas 🙏 Hope you'll review the other series he released earlier this year as well :]

As huge fan of zero work I can confirm that this work suffers from having to read the comics. For example his mom is supposed to look like mother hen from robin hood but due to copyright reason he was not allowed to do that. I would suggest picking the comics. The first 3 to 4 should be in english and to me are some of his best work

really well made video!! glad I found out abt this show through here

This show is actually pretty popular on spanish speaking countries since it has a fantastic spanish dub!

I remember randomly watching this show at like 3am when it first came out on Netflix. I’m so glad someone is finally talking about it!

I watched it when it came out, I genuinely enjoyed it. The fast pace actually worked well for me, still havent gotten around to checking out the new series but ill get to it eventually.

I watched it and absolutely loved it. While hilarious it does the emotional scenes amazingly.

I LOVED this show!!!❤ thanks for covering it 😊

I’ve actually watched it and it was completely perfect

YESSS!!! This was my comfort show back in 2021, I used to watch it over and over again. I'm so glad people are finally talking about it! The last 2 episodes have made me cry so much

It genuinely annoys me that a passion project like this gets virtually no attention while something like Paradise PD gets multiple seasons and is at least known to the masses. I really enjoyed this show, the ending hit like a brick.

This show has that euro comics style vibes

I'm italian but this show was my first experience with ZeroCalcare, I loved it so much and also the sequel is really really good, some may say it's even better.

You would be surprised because this show was incredibly well received in other countries, there’s something about the Castilian (Spanish) dub that captures the character(s) of Zero better imo

i'm just happy that my ancestor's country made another great piece of animation, seeing that before this, the man called the Walt Disney of Italy made about two shows, Huntik, which barely anybody remembers (but does have an amazing intro) and Winx, which I do remember but was definitely a 6 to 12 little girl show, and also MONDO WORLD, which made those terrible animated titanic movies.

I watched this show when it came out and didnt stop watching it til i finished it.

I love hearing you talk about things you actually like lol, this and the f is for family vid are some of my favorites from you

I'll have to check this out after I finish "Better call Bababooey" 👍