The characters are not just objects of attraction, but aspects of our unconscious minds. Aspects of the anima, in Jungian terms. We don’t just see these characters from outside, we identify with them. Or at least I do. In laughing at their foibles, we are laughing at our own — and accepting them. This is a humane kind of humor. And I find it hilarious, at least as practiced in K-On, Lucky Star, Kannagi, and especially in Ichigo Mashimaro.

And not watching something that I hate from the off isn’t being jaded. I gave the show a chance (for example, Shangri-la) and it disappointed me so there’s no way I’m going to waste any more time on it.

@DS
There could be the chance that that person dislikes that type of show anyway. Not everybody loves moe! They may have thought that the show might not be crap, and yet when it turned out it was (at least to them) wanted to say why.

Actually, I recall seeing a tweet from someone who had not yet seen it, who said it looked like it would be crap, and then this person, of course, wrote a negative review on a blog. This gives me the impression of people who watch it fully expecting to hate it and getting ready to rant about it in advance lol.

The problem is that this impression comes only from the promo materials and the first episode. Hardly the best way to make an “I told you so” argument because your information is too limited. And I disregard people’s opinions when they’re too flimsy to stand on.

“What’s the point of continuing to watch something you immediately dislike, just because it might get change or suddenly become appealing when you could be watching shows you want to watch?”

Why are you looking at it in that perspective? That speaks to me of being jaded more than anything else.

why they even bother watching when they know in advance what they are getting into?

Perhaps they think that a show shouldn’t be judged solely from it’s promotional material. You never know how the finished product could turn out, despite the impressions you get before hand. K-On could have ended up being a show with more widely appealing humour. Too bad it was, as you say, “targeted” at the moe crowd so it’s going to have humour cater-made for that moe crowd.

people genuinely want to give a show a chance, then you have to give it a few episodes at least, to see how consistent it is or if a plot develops.

The show is clearly light-hearted slice-of-life so the chances of a plot developing are slim to none. Then take into account the similarity to any other slice-of-life and you can see that they don’t vary that much. What’s the point of continuing to watch something you immediately dislike, just because it might get change or suddenly become appealing when you could be watching shows you want to watch?

This is clearly your kind of show, but that may not be the case for others.

This sort of thing annoys the hell out of me. Not you saying it, but what other people say. :P