Well, as long as it's valid...
I find I am really looking forward to each new ep of Elfen Lied. Since I was likewise anxious for each new ep of Narutaru, I dunno what that says about me. In my defense, I also look forward to new fansubs of more wholesome fare, like Mizu Iro Jidai, Twin Spica, and so on. There's just something refreshing about an anime that plays with the genre a bit, and both Elfen Lied and Narutaru (and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Gunslinger Girl) do that.
In fact, when I do run into a show that seems completely formulaic, I can't help watching a couple of eps into it anyway, thinking, "they can't possibly be serious about this... it has to be a parody!". I mean, why spend all that money making a retread of some insultingly crappy premise? Most of the time, of course, it's not meant to be a parody and then I feel oogy for having naively wasted the extra time on it. Even over-the-top examples, like Mouse, haven't broken me of this behavior. Ah, but isn't it heartening to see that hope springs eternal?
In fact, when I do run into a show that seems completely formulaic, I can't help watching a couple of eps into it anyway, thinking, "they can't possibly be serious about this... it has to be a parody!". I mean, why spend all that money making a retread of some insultingly crappy premise? Most of the time, of course, it's not meant to be a parody and then I feel oogy for having naively wasted the extra time on it. Even over-the-top examples, like Mouse, haven't broken me of this behavior. Ah, but isn't it heartening to see that hope springs eternal?