Since I would never make anyone coming into the library do something that I'm not willing to do myself, I had one of my fellow librarians interview me for our monthly anime patron feature. I'm also sad to report that this month's Anime Night is our last, mainly because FUNimation's Operation Anime service has decided to officially shut down. Something tells me that this is not the end, however, so look for more Anime/Manga offerings from the Mid-Manhattan Library sometime in 2012!

NYPL: What is your name and your age?

I'm Ryan. I'm 29 years old.

What was tonight’s anime? Did you like it?

Moon Phase. I enjoy vampire stories.

How many Anime Nights at Mid-Manhattan Library have you attended?

I've been at every Anime Night at the Mid-Manhattan Library since it began.

Do you like anime? What about the stories do you like especially?

I do like anime. I like the nonlinear format the stories are told in. It's cool when an anime starts at the end and then the series goes back and tells viewers what happened. I also like how fantasy elements can be weaved into realistic storytelling often seamlessly. Anime often emphasizes characterization, which is often my favorite part of a story. It can be randomly wacky, which is fun.

What are a few of your favorite anime titles?

My first and favorite dubbed anime was Sailor Moon. My favorite series to watch with subtitles is Cardcaptor Sakura. I'm also a big Cowboy Bebop fan.

Do you read manga, too?

I haven't read that much, but I like Arata. I usually try to pick animes that have a corresponding manga so I can help promote our library's graphic novel collection.

Do you think anime is more for boys, girls, or a combination?

I have seen a lot more anime geared towards boys personally, but it seems that most series are pretty boy/girl friendly when it comes to characters and storylines. I think some series are geared more towards action and some more towards relationship, but there is a lot of cross genre pollination. I think anime is definitely for both boys and girls... and even adults, too! There really is something for everybody.

Any closing thoughts?

This was actually our very last Anime Night tonight. It's bittersweet that it's ending. I've met some great people who come nearly every month, but I'm going to be focusing on running our upcoming Game Night! program beginning next year.