Mary Merola
Introduction: Mary is a collage graduate that works with my uncle. They work with some sort of gaming production software thing =_=”
She’s interested in gaming and anime so she’s an otaku. I decided she fit the topic of this blog perfectly so here is my interview with the amazing Mary Merola!
Me- How long have you been interested in anime and gaming?
Mary- For years, now! I’ve been gaming since I was just a little kid, so going on near 20 years for that. I got into anime a little later, in my early teens, so probably like 9 years or so for that.
Me- What got you interested in this?
Mary- For gaming, it started because my dad would play a lot of video games and let us watch. When we got older, it was just a natural progression for us to join in. Of course what we were allowed to play was screened at such a young age, but I still saw lots of games with varied and vibrant creatures, characters, and worlds that really captured my imagination. It was a lot of fun to be able to visit all these different lands and do all these different things through gaming! And the fact that I could play a lot of them with all of my friends was a big plus too.
For anime, my older sister was watching a lot of it, and it was kind of the “in” thing to like a that point. Nowadays I watch it more because I appreciate all the different characters and styles of animation in each show.
Me- so what is your favorite game right now and why?
Mary- My favorite game right now… I’d probably have to go with Halo CE. It’s old, but it redefined the FPS genre, setting these vast boundaries and encouraging the medium to provide simple but highly addictive gameplay coupled with a compelling story. I played the campaign so many times over with my dad, and later with my friends. I would also sink countless hours into just exploring the levels, appreciating what the game’s creators had built, seeing how far I could push it, learning as much as I could about the universe… it was the first game that swept p up so deeply, that I was in love with every aspect of. (As for what I’m playing MOST right now, that currently goes to Killer Instinct 2013 and Titanfall… but even if I’m not actively playing Halo CE, it will always be my favorite game.)
Me- What is your favorite mario game and why?
Mary- Super Mario 64, I think. It was a groundbreaking title back in the day and I remember it very fondly! I don’t think I’ve played any of the other Mario games as much (unless you count Super Smash Brothers). Just good old light-hearted fun.
Me- Do you remember what the first anime you watches was? If so, what was it?
Mary- I don’t remember the very first anime… maybe The Vision of Escaflowne? Neon Genesis Evangelion? Or Cowboy Bebop?
Me- What is you favorite style of art?
Mary- Not sure if I can answer this question! Every style is lovely, with their own applications to different mediums, and I often fluctuate between different styles myself. It’s like visual food, almost–sometimes you’re just in the mood for a certain flavor! Sometimes I crave bright, vibrant colors with stylish cel-shading; other times I like really gritty realism with every anatomical detail down to a fine point; sometimes I want something that falls somewhere between the two. In anime, I tend to like series that favor a more hand-drawn approach instead of tossing in lots of 3D elements everywhere, as 3d elements tend to make things feel less grounded to me.
Me- Who is your favorite manga artist and why?
Mary- I will be honest, I do not know much about the different manga artists; I couldn’t name many of them off the top of my head, and I don’t have many physical books on me to skim through. I do really like how the artist of the NGE manga (Yoshiyuki Sadamoto I think?) draws the EVAs though. I love those ominous eyes, that subtly but strangely stretched anatomy with the powerful chests and tapered waists. Animator Yutaka Nakamura, a key animator on the original NGE TV series, also handles the Evas beautifully!
Me- thank you so much!
Mary- no problem ^_^