Ultra Podcast Z - A-to-J Connections

Ultra Podcast Z 131 (Cryptids w/ Dr. Wes) | Storytime, El Chupacabra, Bigfoot & Documentaries, More!

4/16/2021

Live Broadcast:
April 13, 2021 6:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Nyaru
Dr. Wes

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z had a cryptid episode lined up for a few weeks now but we took a short unscheduled break last week so as chance would have it, its reschedule fell on "Tuesday The 13th"! The importance of that day? Nothing at all, just another stupid thing we make up for the show, but we were finally able to talk cryptids! Even though we had a full outline for this one, and Weston joining us as a guest, it was a little hard to give this one form and not have it just become one of the documentaries that we dunked on. We shared our knowledge, background, some personal stories, and also reacted to some stuff we were looking up online. A rather structured episode for something that you'd think we'd have just winged live. That said, this was a somewhat shorter episode than usual (not really intended, just wrapped a little earlier than we probably needed to) so we will definitely be coming back to this topic someday. We didn't even manage to cover the topic of creepypastas and online cryptid culture which was the topic that actually launched this entire idea in the first place. Basically, if you enjoyed this let us know some of your cryptid experiences or anything like that in the comment section and keep your eyes open for more UPZ cryptid talk! As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 126 (Giving Bad Advice w/ Pleiades) | Relationship & Life Advice, Storytime, More!

2/26/2021

Live Broadcast:
February 23, 2021 6:00 PM PST

Hosts:
Manuel
Nyaru
Pleiades

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z has had a lot of "weird" themed episodes before but this one is one of the weirdest. It was all based around the theme of "Bad Advice Delivered Badly" (and yes, we know about the odd grammar in that phrase) due to a meeting Manuel had regarding starting a popular podcast. Seeing as we're a pretty home-y, low rent podcast with all sorts of issues (but we're doing our best!) we decided to run with this with some intentional "problems" and many others that popped up during the show that we didn't really intend for but went with the them really well. Basically we relied on our live audience to ask us for advice and we'd give it with an air of satire about it. The problem with that concept was that it required us to have a very large, active audience which isn't something that UPZ consistently has... We soldiered on though and filled in a lot of the dead space with random storytime, talks about anime, and even some examples of "bad advice" we've seen or have been given. If we ever do this style of show again (well, WHEN we do as we definitely will) we might gather up some topics from our audience beforehand to give advice to live, but then again that wouldn't be as much fun as going in completely unsure and cold... We shall see! As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 116 (Random Topics) | Storytime, ALA 2022, Con Adventures, Dungeons & Dragons, More!

11/19/2020

Live Broadcast:
November 17, 2020 6:00 PM PST

Hosts:
Manuel
Nyaru

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z is tired and decided to have one of our chill Random Topics/Storytime episodes that we have every so often. We actually opened it up to any topics viewers might have but filled out the 90+ minutes with LOTS of Storytime moments instead! As usual we used up some of our better topics in the pre-show but we still had a lot to talk about with maybe half the show being about Anime Convention Adventures! It was a little different than when we usually tell these stories as we had a lot more to talk about regarding the fact that some conventions in 2021 are also starting to cancel and we just went ham telling some stories/story details we never told before. After a big discussion on horchata and pupusas (and about a restaurant near Nyaru that MIGHT be a money laundering operation?) we went down the road that lead to "Titties Are Poggers", an ongoing inside joke between Manuel and Snakz that has now extended into UPZ and Nyaru! Some Dungeons & Dragons talk rounded things out (let us know if you want to see D&D content here btw!) with the usual amount of randomness throughout the entire show! While these episodes are often hit and miss, we felt this one was a lot of fun and much better than just skipping a week out of laziness! As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 103 (Summer Nonsense w/ Callie) | Updates, Memories, Summer Camp, Randomness, More!

7/29/2020

Live Broadcast:
July 29, 2020 7:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Konaru
Callie

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z soldiers on with a very chill, very random Episode 103! Callie joined us last minute for this one and we were originally going to talk some recent news stories and "Summer" stuff. A very loose prompt that we only partially managed to do as we had the most chill episode ever. It was discussed how we have lost some of our live viewers on our UPZ streams (possibly) due to a lot of skipped episodes and schedule changes. That said, we still strive to give a good show as we can and after a really short intro, and a mini talk on BNK48, we did talk a lot about Summer and how our schools handled it, what we did during the summer, and all sorts of nonsense on Summer Camps, Girl Scouts, Royal Rangers, and lots more! More randomness rounded out the show and a barely-there Konaru (still getting ready for her VTuber debut) tossed in her two cents to deliver an episode that, while it's not the usual high energy type fare we pull, can still be quite entertaining. Also, check out yet more Quarantine Blues-esque topics even though we're technically retiring that series of podcasts! Keep in mind that the topics list for this episode are particularly loose, so it might be best to just skim through/watch the entire thing. As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 99.5 (Randomness w/ Callie & Molly) | Fanime, Storytime, Conspiracy Theories, More!

5/29/2020

Live Broadcast:
May 26, 2020 6:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Konaru
Callie
Molly

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z is still in quarantine and we're coming off our recent Drink Talk Learn stream with the TRUE Episode 99.5! This was originally to be a FanimeCon appreciation podcast as we are huge fans of that particular convention and it was one of many that was forced to cancel its 2020 show, but the podcast turned into something more. We were a little unable to focus on telling a cohesive and linear story here about our first FanimeCons and our favorite FanimeCon memories, but the stories were there and we discussed a lot regarding Fanimaid and other relative nonsense like the issues that maid cafe causes to A-to-J panels at Fanime. In between this though we talked a LOT about food (the origin of "ketchup" anyone?) and some of our earliest drug and alcohol experiences. We did tie some of them into anime conventions, but yeah, there was a lot of randomness in this one. That isn't all of it though as we were considering wrapping up the show and then we accidentally dived into the world of conspiracy theories AGAIN but with a lot more manic energy this time around. Honestly, that crazy abrupt ending is almost worth watching on its own... Oh yeah, RIP FanimeCon 2020 and we'll definitely be back in 2021! As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 99 (Celebrating 100+ Episodes w/ Tiffany & Callie) | Storytime, Unseen Clips, More!

5/20/2020

Live Broadcast:
May 19, 2020 6:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Konaru
Tiffany
Callie

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z is still in quarantine and we're hitting one of our biggest milestones ever! We're at over 100 episodes (thanks to many "half" episodes) and we're taking a special look back at over two years of UPZ! First off we have Tiffany returning as guest co-host and we have Callie returning again. Tiffany being a regular in the early UPZ days and Callie being a regular over the past year. The latter being our most repeated co-host ever! Anyhow, we discussed the history of the show, from its beginnings in the "A-to-J Talks" days to the formation of the new podcast, to that format stalling quickly before finally finding its early footing. Those early days were a big boom to the show and while we've continued for years through that we also took a look at our dedication to the show even though our reach and audience has always stayed relatively small. Lots of funny clips were shown as we looked back on some early episodes and also showed off some clips that have never been seen publicly. Lots of reminiscing and a look back at some of our long list of past hosts was culminated by us describing our favorite podcast moments. Most of the hosts were unable to recall many (or much regarding their UPZ appearances) but we found some for everyone after a bit of discussion! Anyhow, this episode was a little all over the place and not ideal, but we are not in ideal times and it is what it is. However, we thank EVERYONE who has watched and supported us over the past years and 100+ episodes and we hope to keep this up for 100 more! Let us know if you have any favorite (or even not-so-favorite!) podcast moments! As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 98 (Quarantine Blues 6 w/ Callie) | Storytime, Conspiracies, Balloon Animals, More!

5/13/2020

Live Broadcast:
May 12, 2020 6:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Konaru
Callie

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z is still in quarantine and this particular episode was mentioned as being the hopeful sixth and last episode of the "Quarantine Blues" series of podcasts. Basically random shows where we let spill the nonsense that we've occupied ourselves with during this safer-at-home period. Originally set to end on May 15th, the order has been extended in LA indefinitely so while we did the episode as planned, there is no end in immediate sight. Also worth noting that Manuel had really bad allergies before this podcast and almost cancelled and Callie was added literally minutes before we went live. (Hence her early reluctance to join in on our topics) The opening starts slow as Konaru plays a lot of ACNH and only really picks up after Callie starts making balloon animals. Including a very impressive penis hat. Afterwards we started a very weird set of storyimes that honestly needs to be listened to to be believed. We REALLY went for some weird topics. After more randomness we decided to ALL play some ACNH before we wrapped up so there is an awkward 15 minutes or so where we're all playing a video game no one can else can see lol. What followed was VERY weird though as we actually jumped into the topic we had originally said was going to be our main one for the night, conspiracy theories. Even though we hit the topic in a fast and messy way, we did manage to get all our points out and if anyone stuck around until the end of this one, then you deserved that reward. Anyhow, thanks for watching and keep an eye on our path to our 100th episode! As always, take care of yourselves and each other in these trying times and stay healthy and safe! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 60 (The "Drunk" Episode w/ Ren) | Concert Etiquette, Failed Topics, Drunken Nonsense

5/1/2020

April 9, 2019 7:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Ren

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z used to have several "lost" episodes that we've been slowly releasing over the years but none is more infamous than Episode 60 featuring Ren and a LOT of drinking. Originally scheduled to be a three-host podcast with Konaru on the topic of "Concert Etiquette", we decided to drink during it and just minutes before going live, Konaru had to drop out. What followed was a four-hour slow descent into nonsense. The first hour wasn't too bad and actually featured a bit on the actual topics (including the then-recent death of vocaloid-producer wowaka) before the alcohol caught up to us. There is too much to describe here on what happened in the following three hours, but suffice it to say that about 50 or so minutes were cut out for both content and to tighten up the pacing a little. The audience was quite active and big and it's unfortunate that the chat to this episode no longer survives, but there are some fun moments here that include Ren doing both a singing and dance cover with music that only she can hear! Drinks, shenanigans, and more make up this one and we hope that you enjoy it now, a year after it was live, as a nice little treat to watch while in these trying times. Here's hoping to a redux of this podcast in the future! Also, it's worth mentioning that with this release there are no more "lost" UPZ episodes except for Episode 68.5 (which is lost due to technical issues we can't fix) and the second episode of The Offshore Podcast... If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 93 (Quarantine Blues 3 w/ Molly) | Productivity, Food Adventures, YouTubers, More!

4/9/2020

Live Broadcast:
April 7, 2020 6:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Konaru
Molly

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z (and most of the rest of the country) is still in quarantine (and will be for the foreseeable future) and even though we said we'd return to more structured content we decided to continue the "Quarantine Blues" series though this one DID have more structure and featured very little Animal Crossing! Rubi was supposed to join us for this one and unfortunately did not but Molly popped in uber last minute and we still put on a good show! We started by talking about the strains of being productive during quarantine and what we're doing to keep us busy which quickly segwayed into some "food adventures" we're having cooking from home and (apparently) baking bread. Konaru was actually the only one who is truly being productive (trying to learn Japanese) and going on food adventures (baking bread) but we still covered a lot of ground discussion-wise! We then dove into some of our favorite YouTubers and some of the TV shows and movies we're watching. There was a nice deviation into the odd Hong Kong movie "The Untold Story" and after discussing some other shows and cool streaming services, we moved on to our regular weekly randomness as well as a big discussion as to why the new crop of online conventions are pretty much a waste of time and energy. Lots to see here and get ready for more Quarantine Blues soon! Stay healthy and take care of each other! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!

Ultra Podcast Z 92 (Quarantine Blues 2 w/ melancholiaah) | Storytime, ACNH, Furry Fandom, Randomness

4/1/2020

Live Broadcast:
March 31, 2020 6:00 PM PDT

Hosts:
Manuel
Konaru
melancholiaah

Description:
Ultra Podcast Z (and most of the rest of the country) is still in quarantine (and will be for the foreseeable future) and we decided to throw together another random episode as we have been mad obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Horizons as well as generally trying to stay sane when all semblance of a schedule falls away. Joining us for this week's randomness is melancholiaah! (AKA Maxine) She's been away from our show since the Halloween specials, but we wanted to sit down with her and discuss how we're all surviving this current health crisis and there was a lot to go over. As you'd imagine there was a lot of Animal Crossing to discuss and we even streamed a bit of Konaru's island and had it open to anyone who wanted to stop by. (Something we may continue in future episodes) In between ACNH talks though, Max shared all the things that she was forced to cancel due to the current situation as well as to why there aren't any new Toad Sings videos in the pipeline. We discussed a few movies and series that we're watching/have watched, including "Tiger King" and "The Flu" and more. We touched a bit on furries towards the end and there was more all throughout that has to just be listened to understand! Check out Max's post on Konaru's bulletin board and we hope that you enjoy this random episode as we plan to return to more structures ones starting next week. Stay healthy and take care of each other! If you want to watch Ultra Podcast Z live then check out our twitch channel: twitch.tv/atojplays We are live every Tuesday at 6 PM PST!