[5] The following month, vocalist Max Bemis and drummer Coby Linder were in the process of recruiting members to help them tour.

[6] With tremendous self-created pressure, Bemis threw himself into pushing the sonic boundaries of the band and maturing their sound, incorporating elements of math-rock, indie-pop and theatrical pomp.

According to the album's liner notes, ...Is a Real Boy was originally intended to be a rock opera, complete with a full narrative, cast of characters and spoken word interludes between each song.

[12] A promotional 7" vinyl to be released via ECA Records (originally on July 15, 2003) and a split EP were planned.

[21] The band were due to support Saves the Day and Senses Fail on their co-headlining US tour between October and December 2005, but had to cancel because of Bemis' continual breakdown.

[22][23] During the initial release of the album, ...Is a Real Boy managed to sell 20,000 copies independently, which attracted major label attention.

[1] Sony Music Entertainment-imprint J Records signed the band and was planning to reissue ...Is a Real Boy in October 2005.

[23][26] The bonus disc included with the reissue, ...Was a Real Boy, features seven tracks that were originally from an eight-track EP known unofficially as the Say Anything vs. AIDS demos.

[31] A second reissue came in the form of vinyl edition released on October 23, 2007, which included an extra track, "Walk Through Hell", originally from the Menorah/Majora EP.

[34][35] Doghouse Records released the third re-issue of the album on October 7, 2008..[34] ...Is a Real Boy has received almost universally positive reviews from music critics.

"[36] Allmusic's Corey Apar also gave the album a glowing review, writing "...Is a Real Boy comes off as an impressively well-done, multifaceted effort that deserves multiple spins and makes Say Anything truly a band to watch.

"[38] Entertainment Weekly wrote that, "Say Anything, an emo act based in L.A., has a new disc that proves that the genre can be artful and intriguing.