I don't mind a bit of cheese. Frankly, I think a series like 20 Faces needs it to a point. That whole 'what the hell, how did you just do that, lol, but hey that was cool!' factor in some amounts lightens up the show. Otherwise it would get too serious/bleak. Frankly that's one of the qualities that makes it far superior to Lupin, which has so much cheese it would give even Italians heart attacks from clogged arteries. Another factor is on a personal level, I can really relate to Chizuko's plight and I respect that despite the evil and utter idiocy she is surrounded by, she is able to maintain her personal integrity and continue to grow stronger yet still be relatively human via her weaker moments. Plus there's also the factor that Chizuko actually relatively feels like a 'real' girl, rather than just another moe caricature loaded with all the usual traits and cliches. She's refreshing. Sure, the middle part of 20 Faces may be a bit slower than it should be and some of the scenes/moments are a bit 'give me a break/just get to the point'. But it's been fairly consistent throughout. I don't think it's that serious a show. It is in some realtive sense, but not very. I'm reserving proper judgement until I've seen it all. Seven years of watching anime has taught me to be cautious on judging a series too early.
There's also the fact I have a passive immunity to Tropes.
I find labelling to be unfair and inaccurate a lot of the time.
Bounen no Xamdou has plenty of traits I like - a very energetic vibe via its themes and action, gorgeous/sensual animation, dominant females, a fairly enigmatic/mysterious story that slowly reveals itself. And the show just really reminds me of Last Exile a lot. Akiyuki and Namiaki remind me of Claus and Lavie. The albino people remind me of the Guild. Sannova reminds me of Maestro Delphine. Both have really good music and animation standards. Both involve the skies. And both gradually revealed where they were going, gradually building the character relationships to the tragedies and triumphs that eventuate.
When Bones do a series right, they really do. While a lot of studios have receeded in recent years, Bones has continued to get better. They have been the trendsetter over the last 3-4 years IMO. Pity Gonzo meanders all over the wavelength. One can never know what's in store with them.
As for the rest of the playlist in Feb... cliches + moe overload? But that's just me. Each to their own. As long as it doesn't warrant Interpol getting involved.
PS. Since you seem to want to know where I'm coming from and why -
this profile will explain it more consisely than I could here or in person.
Disgusting...