AnimeVice Site Mashup

Halo Legends "The Duel:" Go Watch it Now!

John_Martone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Remember "The Babysitter?" It was the first episode of Halo Legends to be previewed, and now its gone. Preview number two, "The Duel," is upon us, and we're ready for it this time, right?

As last time kinda-sorta-should'a-been, the video will be for one day only on Halo Waypoint, so make sure to mosey over there sometime tomorrow. But hey, its already tomorrow if you live in Europe!!! You guys better revel in the fact that you finally got something that we don't have... for another four hours.

Pertinent Information:

The Duel:
"The Duel" takes us back in time thousands of years to the dawn of the Covenant, where a shamed Elite defies his Arbiter fate and embarks on a mission of revenge against those that have wrong him.

This short was Production I.G.'s, and Zeouterlimits says its good. I wouldn't know... since Europe always gets things first .

Keanu Reeves to Star in 47 Ronin

gia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Okay, whether you like the idea of Keanu Reeves starring as Spike Spiegel in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop or not, it's not hard to see that he's a driving force behind the movie getting made at all. If THAT doesn't get you some Japanophile geek cred, what does?

Well, I guess starring in 47 Ronin might help. The film is an upcoming live-action movie based on a famous Japanese tale of 18th-century samurai-- 47 of 'em, as you may have guessed --who hit the road to try and take down the guy who killed their master, leaving them "ronin" (a ronin is a samurai without a master, although it's also used these days colloquially to refer to a high school graduate who failed their college entrance exams and is studying to retake them).

The original story has been remade dozens of times in Japan, perhaps not entirely unlike the Arthurian legends in the west. In addition, one of the most popular themes of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints that are said to be a precursor to manga was the tale of the Forty-Seven Ronins.

Wanted and Fast & Furious screenwriter Chris Morgan wrote the script for the film, and it's going to be directed by Carl Rinsch, who may have dropped out of the Alien prequel to direct this film. It will be produced by Scott Stuber and Pamela Abdy.

KissxSis is Exactly What it Sounds Like

gia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

So word has come out lately that not only is the manga Kiss x Sis getting a new fourth OVA release, it's also getting a TV anime-- in spite of being a pretty dirty little comedy.

The story revolves around a young man named Keita Suminoe, a third-year junior high student who's getting ready to start his exams to get into high school, but he keeps getting distracted. See, he has these two stepsisters-- twins, and slightly older than Keita himself. The two girls, Ako and Riko, have a naughty habit of kissing, fondling, flashing, and otherwise flirting with their stepbrother, who is at first disgusted with himself but eventually he grows to have feelings for them, which oddly enough their parents encourage.

So you could think of it as an ecchi seinen take on Marmalade Boy but with twins. It was created by Bow Ditama, whose name you may recognize as the guy who created the original manga of another ecchi comedy (and one I'm quite fond of), Mahoromatic, as well as the more recent Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!!, also known as "that peeing anime on Crunchyroll." If that tells you anything about Ditama's style. I couldn't find a trailer for the OVAs or anything, but I did find this very brief little AMV, if you'd like to see some more of the visual style.

Right-o then, the TV series was announced last week and is currently set to air in the spring, while the fourth OVA was announced today and will be released with volume 6 of the manga this June.

Stay Toasty With a Naruto Snuggie

GodLen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

You want to keep warm when you are feeling chill, but you don’t want to raise your heating bill. Blankets are ok, but they can slip and slide, and when you want to reach for something your hands are trapped inside. You want to show you allegiance to akatsuki , but also want to stay warm when attacked by Haku ’s ice mirror jitsu. Now there is the Naruto Snuggie, the blanket that has sleeves! It will keep you totally warm, and allow you to break the necks of you adversaries with the freedom to use your hands.

Viz’s twitter recently told the world that they will be releasing a Naruto Shippuden “comfy throw” for the winter, teasing us with an image of Viz ’s own Lex wearing it. Wearing a snuggie is pretty bad ass, but with the naruto snuggie, your bad ass points are multiplied seeing as when you possess this you become part of a criminal ninja organization that eat monsters for a living; you can’t beat that. Who hear is staying warm this winter?

[Via the NEBS ]

Take a Quick Look at Trigun: Badlands Rumble

GodLen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Everyone loves to see more Trigun in their lives, even if it’s just a measly 37 seconds. Here is a brief teaser trailer of the new Trigun film, Trigun: Badlands Rumble. This film is created by the same people who made the anime, like studio MADHOUSE , Yasuhiro Nightow , and the director Satoshi Nishimura ; so you should expect more of the same.

The story is set in a town that is surrounded by quicksand that is rumored to be the next target of the legendary robber Gasback. This draws in bounty hunters and the insurance girls to this town, along with Vash and Wolfwood . They will also introduce a new character, who just so happens to be a female bounty hunter named Ameria. Now what I want to know is if this has anything to do with the “Vash vs. Wolfwood” movie that was going to air, or if they are completely different. Though I guess it is also possible that they just renamed the Vash vs. Wolfwood film to Badlands Rumble, which would also make sense. Even though I’m happy to see more Trigun, I’m saddened to know that this will result in more bad Vash cosplay . This movie will open in Japan in April of 2010.

[Via ANN ]

!@#% Twilight: 7 Vampire Alternatives for Otaku

gia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0800

See? They don't SPARKLE. They GLOW!

The second Twilight movie is out today, but I'm betting that many of you who consider yourselves vampire fans aren't planning to see it, whether you made an honest attempt to read the novels and hated 'em or whether the fandom just scares the snot out of you. Either way, you need some other way to get your vampire fix.

As it turns out, the month of November is full of vampire craziness, so I thought I'd showcase X releases for getting your vampire on without sitting in a movie theater with that most terrifying of monsters, the fangirl.

Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight : The most obvious manga parallel to the Twilight phenomenon, Vampire Knight is 100% romantic shoujo soap opera with vampires. Some of its fans fall for the gorgeous vampires and vampires-to-be; others glory in the sometimes trashy but still fun drama. Volume 8 came out on the 3rd, so go catch up with the Night Class.

Bloody Kiss : The second and final volume of this short shoujo series hit shelves on the 3rd as well, and in terms of sheer story, it might actually be the closest proxy to Twilight. A young girl inherits a mansion that turns out to be inhabited by two vampires, with one of whom she begins to establish a relationship. The only problem is that if they kiss, she might become a vampire too.

Trinity Blood : For something a liiiiiiiiittle less girly-girl, Trinity Blood exists as both a bishounen fest and an intriguing sci-fi/fantasy/politics mash-up. The third novel, Reborn on Mars: Empress of the Night, was released by TOKYOPOP earlier this month, though I'm guessing you'll want to be pretty familiar with the series before picking that one up.

Record of a Fallen Vampire

Record of a Fallen Vampire : We're squarely in shounen territory with this release from VIZ, whose seventh volume came out on November 10th. The dethroned vampire king Strauss wanders the world over, fighting off the half-vampires who want to kill him and the curse placed on him by humanity, the Black Swan.

Vampire Hunter D : Digital Manga Publishing has been near-simul-releasing this manga adaptation of Hideo Kikuchi's novels. Some fans may wish that illustrator Yoshitaka Amano was doing the art, but since he basically doesn't do manga, you may find you'll like Saiko Takaki's take, which retains much of the feel of Amano's work. Volume four came out on the 18th.

Dance in the Vampire Bund

Blood: The Last Vampire : If you're looking for something to watch instead of read, you may want to hold out for the Blu-Ray release of the live-action adaptation of Production I.G's original Blood: The Last Vampire animated film. Granted, the reviews were lukewarm at best, but $34.95 isn't going to break the bank (or you can order it now-- as of this writing you can get it for $20 at Amazon). It's due out November 24th.

Dance in the Vampire Bund : If all of the above is still just not enough to quench your vampire thirst, you'll just have to give Nozomu Tamaki's centuries-old vampire loli Mina Tepes a try. In an interesting move, the vampire princess bought off Japan by paying off its national debt in order to earn some land to create a "special district" for vampires. Volume 5 will come out on the 30th, and an anime version is also in the works, so you might want to get a sneak peek by checking out the manga.

If that isn't enough for you, then you're an addict and should consider checking into a 12-step program. Don't worry, I'm sure lots of people are addicted to fiction about sexy beings that suck the blood out of humans for sustenance...

Of course, this is just vampire releases for November. So if you have other recommendations, be sure to share them in the comments!

Square Enix Loves Us^2

gia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Picked this little tidbit up from blogger Tatsuhiko Miyagawa this morning: apparently Square Enix has made the CD Love SQ available on iTunes in the US.

The CD features remixes of music from Square's biggest franchises, meaning mainly Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger (though Romancing Saga makes an appearance-- and Kingdom Hearts doesn't), including the Final Fantasy main theme, the Chocobo Theme, and others that you'll recognize from the background of your games, even if you don't know their titles. Here's the complete track list, though, for those of you who WILL recognize all the names, along with the artists who mixed them:

1. Final Fantasy Main Theme (Pe'z)
2. To Far Away Times (livetune)
3. Chrono Trigger (NOVOISKI)
4. Frog's Theme ~Fanfare 1 Sexy-Synthesizer Remix (SEXY-SYNTHESIZER)
5 . Chocobo's Theme (Good Luck Heiwa)
6. Thoughts of the Mana Tree, Far Away - Theme of Mana - Hometown of Domina (Muzik!)
7. Eternal Wind Migratory Birds Mix (DE DE MOUSE)
8. Romancing Sa * Ga Note Native Remix - Opening Dawn of the Romance ~ the Conflict ~ Coup De Grace ~ Ending Theme ~ The Saga (NOTE NATIVE)
9. Battle at the Big Bridge ~Dancing Mad ~ One-Winged Angel (-Pia-no-jac-)
10. Prelude (no. 9)

The songs are available for the standard $0.99 each, and the entire album download is priced at $9.90, so there's no discount there-- if you're interested, go ahead and download a couple of tracks and see if you like the mixes before picking up the rest.

The Daily Drill: Gurren Lagann Episode 07

John_Martone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0800

The Catch-up: Episodes

Episode 1: Burst Through the Heaven with your Drill!
Episode 2: I said I'd Pilot it!
Episode 3: You Two-Face Son of a Bitch!
Episode 4: Does having so many faces make you great?
Episode 5: I don't get it, not one bit!
Episode 6: Sit in the hot tub 'til you're sick!
Episode 7: You're gonna do it!

The Catch-up: Plot

While getting horribly lost, the gang found a hot spring run by humans. Except of course for the fact that it wasn't humans. They were beastmen who attempted to device the party. Boota is repeatedly used to cover people's genitals, and Viral shows up at the end, ready for a rematch...

Today's episode:

With a cut off like "Viral magically appearing at the end," I could not have been more excited about today's episode. He took a hold of me in episode 3, and just never let go. Apparently my roommate had already learned his theme song, and knew he was appearing based on that alone. Oh well, more Viral can never be a bad thing.

UpBeat: Skip Beat! Episode 8 of 25

gia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

Need to Catch Up?

Today's Episode: Sink or Swim Together

Well, it's nice to see Ren make nice for real, mostly. And while I was never all that great an actress (better suited for comedy than drama, shall we say), I can totally relate to Kyoko that it's amazing how you can get sucked into acting when you're performing with someone who is really good at what they're doing. Especially if the script is strong-- the words come so naturally it's a wonder you needed to memorize them at all.

Ahem. But anyway, it's also really cool to see Ruriko mature, and to see Kyoko really get a shot to see what this whole show biz thing is all about, besides just getting revenge on Sho.

Right-o then, moving along to the next episode!

Second Shot: Movieholics

gia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0800

It's not very often that video game sites get to have Brad Pitt in their headlines, so I imagine everyone in the game-iverse cackled with glee at word that Brad Pitt and his Plan B Entertainment were going to work on a film adaptation of Dark Void . In spite of Pitt's reputation as a studmuffin, the man does some really amazing films: he was producer on the recent adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife, he's on 2010's Kick-Ass the Movie, and now he's working on Dark Void, so it'll be interesting to see if we finally get an indisputably good video game movie out of this. Though it'll also be a couple of years at least.

Meanwhile, word over at Comic Vine is that Boom! Studios' comic Unthinkable is going to be adapted into a movie . The story is about a man who the government hires to imagine possible terrorist strategies for attacks on US soil, only to have those hypothetical attacks come true. Eep. Sounds like it could make a pretty good movie, though, so there's another one we'll have to wait and see!

No such luck on movie news here at Vice (though I did spot a really great misspelling of Evangelion-- " Evangeleon " --on Variety), but we kept busy with another new video feature and quite possibly one of the goofiest otaku moves ever: marrying an eroge character . Ahhh...

Quick Picks 11/19/09

gia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:21:01 -0800

Click To Watch Video

Meet our latest news feature...and newest contributor?

Trailer: NANA

gia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:09:30 -0800

Click To Watch Video

A trailer for VIZ's NANA, based on the popular Shojo Beat manga.

Trailer: Monster

gia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:54:29 -0800

Click To Watch Video

A 90-second trailer for the anime based on Naoki Urasawa's hit manga, Monster.

How Can Cosplay be This Good Thursdays

GodLen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another edition of amazing cosplay that I can never do even with help from an army of ninjas. Here we have a group playing the bad asses from Detroit Metal City . They really do play the part well, in fact they might have escaped from the manga itself and are running amok in our world; if that’s the case I would lock your doors now, though don’t make it obvious.

It wouldn’t be a cosplay Thursday if I didn’t have cosplay girls in skimpy outfits, and cosplay men completely covered, because I don’t want to see any of that (sorry ladies). I don’t know who any of these cosplayers are, but they get many kudos for being epic. Enjoy!

You are PERFECT

I'd be pissed too.

Quick Picks 11/19/09: An Introduction

gia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Are you sick of new features yet? I hope not, because here's our third: the weekly Quick Picks. There's a lot of anime and manga coming out in the west these days, so as I will say in this video, I thought I'd offer you some direction on where you might want to spend your hard-earned money.

And yes, this is aimed entirely at North American release dates, so I apologize in advance to our many readers from other parts of the world. In my defense, I can barely keep up with NA release-- but if one of you wants to blog about EU releases every so-often, hit me up and maybe we can work something out!

Without further ado...here are my Quick Picks. Now featuring a new contributor: Geekachu!

And of course, here's a listing of all of the SKU'd anime and manga releases that I could find for this week!

This Week's Releases

Also: Hobby Search's figure sale , and that list of FUNimation's online titles .

Kaiji Gets a Sequel, a Live-Action Sequel

GodLen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Even though most of us have not seen the first live-action Kaiji film, it’s sequel has just been green lit. Not much is known right now about this sequel, other than Tatsuya Fujiwara will return as Kaiji , and that this will hit theaters some time in 2011. I’m unsure if this film is going to be a brand new story, or continue down the path of the manga. I don’t have a trailer for you or anything, but check out the first film’s trailer; I’m still pumped to see it.

Now that I think about it, when the hell is the second season coming out?

[Via ANN ]

The Daily Drill: Gurren Lagann Episode 06

John_Martone — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

The Catch-up: Episodes

The Catch-up: Plot

Still attempting to locate the source behind Gurren's beacon, the group falls into what was a concealed pit-city. There, they met the conservative and religious, but effective leadership of Adai village. Rossiu's father used a fallen gunmen to inflict religious fear, but only to preserve the quality of the life the village had. This is done through strict population control, and nearly leads to the death of two adorable orphans. Well, team Gurren won't stand for that, and now the group as two orphans and forehead kid.

Today's Episode

Welcome to the fan service recap. A good portion of this episode seems to be devoted to rehashing the plot points of the previous episode, which is weird... since we're only on episode 6. I'd complain, but its also incredibly laden with hot spring action. Plus that ending, oh my!

Don't believe me? Check it out for yourselves.

UpBeat: Skip Beat! Episode 7 of 25

gia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Need to Catch Up?

Today's Episode: Princess Revolution

Woo, Kyoko finally gets a chance to see what this whole acting thing is all about, other than to try and humiliate Sho! I can kinda relate to the idea that something you have a really negative association with can come in handy though...but hey, we don't need to talk about my exes. Also, good for the director for not putting up with Ruriko 's spoiled little tantrum. Considering how many girls there are who would love to be in her shoes, it's amazing to me that she got so far with an attitude like that! Here's hoping Kyoko can force her into making a bit of an "adjustment."

Natsu No Arashi! 2 - Ep 20 TRAILER

ethan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:09:44 -0800

Click To Watch Video

The Master panics, not knowing where she put the ceramic bowl. According to the Master, the bowl that had a bounty of one million yen at "Hako-bune" was gone all of a sudden. Arashi and the others go to search for the bowl using their time leap powers. When they arrive in the past, they find the master just wearing an apron and running around with the bowl. In the end, the master remembers that she had given the bowl to Yayoi for safe keeping, though Yayoi forgets where she placed the bowl.

Kaasan - Mom's Life - Ep 31 TRAILER

ethan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:05:54 -0800

Click To Watch Video

The defender of justice, Bunji Man! He patrols the town looking for people in trouble, with Fumi and the others in tow. Upon doing so, he encounters a young boy trying to find a winning ice cream stick at a convenience store; Upon returning home from school, Bunji casually announces that he had an accident (#2) at school. Mom is startled and tells him that he must bear it and continue to focus, when that happens; That night, Mom, Mrs. Morita, and Mrs. Nagasaki gather at the school. They attempt to look for their children's forgotten items. They brace themselves for the worse as they dig in, but keep finding unexpected things, one after another...; Bunji is invited to dinner at the stately residence of his classmate, Hiku. Bunji frolics around like usual as the butler, Mr. Yagi, grows concerned...

Asura Cryin' 2 - Ep 21 TRAILER

ethan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:05:08 -0800

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In the battle against Takaya, the new Asura Cryin', Tomoharu, Kanade, and Ania are sucked into the whole in space opened by Hagane's powers. On the other side, a solitary Tomoharu wakes up at the Meiotei. His new home is a world much like his own but with subtle differences. Wandering city streets in a confused state, Tomoharu witnesses a daughter attacking a human. The daughter is easily defeated by a mysterious blonde girl who seems to know something about Tomoharu's situation.

Gurren Lagann: Before and After the Movies

gia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:32:45 -0800

Click To Watch Video

Team Lo-Fi catches both Gurren Lagann movies in San Francisco, handcam in tow.

gia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:28:00 -0800

Gia, John, and Ana update the world on what they've been reading and watching of late and talk about the site's new video features, while John and Gia argue over all the news that's fit to, uh, argue about.

Miracle Train - Ep 7 TRAILER

ethan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:06:09 -0800

Click To Watch Video

The stations learn they won't be getting any passengers any time soon. When they try to find out why, the conductor evades their question, and the stations choose to use their unexpected break to relax. Roppongi wanders off on his own to think, but his thoughts are interrupted when the Miracle Train suddenly gains speed and inexplicably enters overdrive. At the end of their ride through space, the stations find themselves in a strange place.

Straight Up News 11/16/09

gia — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:41:38 -0800

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Gia rounds up all the news you need to know from the last week.

Quick Look: Dragon Ball Raging Blast

gia — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:42:05 -0800

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Giant Bomb's Dragon Ball Raging Blast Quick Look is over 27 minutes!

Gintama - Ep 183 TRAILER

ethan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:08:06 -0800

Click To Watch Video

Characters unhappy with the popularity poll results begin attacking high-ranking characters. Surrounded by the low-ranking characters, Shinpachi attempts to escape across the rooftops but loses his footing and falls. Just when Shinpachi thinks he’s done for, he is saved by an unknown hand and manages to flee from Catherine and the other low-ranking characters. When everybody is an enemy, which character would be willing to lend a helping hand?

Inside Final Fantasy XIII

gia — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:53:18 -0800

Click To Watch Video

Some more information on FFXIII, brought to by some dude in a suit.

Prelude To a Teaser

gia — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:25:41 -0800

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John is clueless about our next ongoing series. Completely and utterly.

Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic

gia — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:52:20 -0800

Click To Watch Video

A trailer for Production I.G's upcoming adaptation of the game based on a poem.

3-Minute Expert: Facefaults

gia — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:48:24 -0800

Click To Watch Video

In three minutes or less, Gia will make you an expert on facefaults in anime and manga.

gia — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:40:00 -0800

This week John and I have a two very special guests: Kane and Ana, who will be doing video work for Comic Vine and Anime Vice. Welcome aboard, guys!

gia — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:34:00 -0800

Ethan joins Gia and John to celebrate the opening of Whiskey West, our new office, and talk about streaming anime on the site.

gia — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:21:07 -0800

John and Gia sit down with manga expert (and manga creator) Jason Thompson to talk about his upcoming project, King of RPGs (due out from Del Rey in January), with added doses about the latest in manga kiddy porn in court, the appreciation and/or appropriation of Japanese pop culture, and manga orcs. Yes, manga orcs.

gia — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:57:35 -0800

Gia's back at the Whiskey Media office, which means back to all that nice, fancy, delicious sound equipment. Which means: more podcast! This week John hosts and the gruesome twosome dish on all the latest gossip and fun stuff.

gia — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:59:46 -0800

Surprise! Gia and John are joined by Tony "G-Man" from Comic Vine and head programmer Ethan for much discussion of sex, lies, and anime.

gia — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:43:04 -0800

John is wistful about playing Tetris with boxes in Gia's car, while Gia makes butt jokes. Occasionally they talk about anime, too.

gia — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:04:52 -0800

John berates Gia for her slacking off during Labor Day weekend, and catches us all up on some of the latest news and fun stuff.

gia — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:33:27 -0800

Gia and Dawn debate over ADV's demise and (sorta? kinda? maybe?) rebirth, KumoriCon woes, TOKYOPOP, Kodansha, giant fire-breathing babies, and considerably more.

gia — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:05 -0800

Gia, Dawn, and Naomi chit-chat about the latest topics. Somehow a lot of yaoi comes up this week. We also celebrate the Squadcast's "21st," and promise that it will be the last time we make a big deal about our age. Well, except maybe for when we reach 100!

gia — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:01:42 -0800

Gia is joined by Dawn, fresh from her Dark Horse visit, and GodLen, who's really excited for One Piece, to talk about all the latest otaku gossip!

gia — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:53:24 -0800

Gia, Dawn, and Naomi gossip about CNN, terrible Dragonball: Evolution music videos, Astro Boy, and more!

gia — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:19:58 -0800

And by that I mean, the podcast is now barely legal, at the tender age of 18...the people on it long since bypassed the "barely legal" limit, as it were.

gia — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:22:00 -0800

...And all we got was this lousy podcast.

gia — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:55:13 -0800

Dawn, John, and Gia plot their evil Comic-Con schemes, and blather about other random things while sitting around in their jammies. True story.