Things you almost like

[Weezer]

I came across this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9EFGb5sgGo)song by the Minutemen and I realized that I don't like it, but that it was the slimmest hair away like it. Stepping back, I think that I'm like that for pretty much all punk, and I can't figure out why. it may have to do with how there is often a disconnect between the vocals and instruments, with complex (if heavy) instrumentals and harsh, relatively simple vocals. I dunno.

So, I was curious, what things (bands, songs, books, movies, whatever) do you almost like? What makes you step back and think "why don't I like this, I feel like I should like it"?

[Kitten Champion]

Warhammer 40K. I love fantasy and science fiction, I can enjoy grimdark settings, and I often play strategy games This just doesn't do anything for me. I could point to some nagging concerns I have, but I can't say any of them are the reason for my ambivalence. I tried the novels, I tried the Dawn of War games, and the game itself -- and nothing.

Fallout III. As someone who loved Oblivion, Skyrim, Farcry 3, and open-world games in general -- this just gave me a headache. Mostly I just felt like I was going after points on a map. The role-playing/immersion elements never clicked for me. I definitely got sick of looking at grey/brown for hours at a time, I probably could have ignored that, if the rest of it worked for me.

A Song of Ice and Fire. Again, something I should enjoy -- and I did read the first three in the series -- I just felt utterly unsympathetic to any of the characters and tired of the zigzagging plot at some point in my reading. I tried going back to it since I recognize that GRRM does have skill and eloquence as a writer, and I enjoyed Game of Thrones, but my attitude didn't change.

[Raistlin1040]

Weezer. They are one step away from being decent indie rock and they mess it up every album.

[MLai]

Babylon 5
I love space opera. I love continuous cohesive epic storylines headed by one writer's vision that have a beginning, middle, and end. Hey, episodic, too-many-cooks, and never-ending are the big reasons why I hate superhero comics. And I know everyone raves about Babylon 5; it remains on my list of Things I Should Get Around To Watching, so why didn't I watch it back when it was on TV?

(1) I don't like the actors' faces. Yes I'm superficial. But they weren't "relaxing" to look at. I'm not looking for swimsuit models or something... I mean, I watched Seinfeld with no problem. I don't know how to explain it.

(2) The original airtimes clashed with Angel/Buffy or something, IIRC. And because the plot is so cohesive, after missing half a season there was no way for me to start in the middle.

Battlestar Galactica
I absolutely hate this show on a gut level, even though it should contain everything I love. Why? Cylons turned into fembots.

See, I was a tiny little kid when I watched the original. So I grew up with the shiny red-eyed Cylon forever engraved in my consciousness as one of the inviolate icons of What Is Good. And then... fembots.

I can never take this show seriously. It doesn't matter what you say or what glowing review you point me to. It's like I've been hypnotized since childhood to hate it.