Right after that post, I was able to snatch the raws because I was at a universtiy in between judging at a debate tourney (i.e. I ran out of other things to download and they had a screaming pipe). So those posts were only correct at the time they were posted
I don't dislike the show enough to stop watching - as I keep pointing out, there are aspects to it that are charming. However, whether I approach it from a "Shinbo-worshipping" perspective or a "Negima-worshipping" perspective ... I feel shortchanged. Shinbo's work on other products (PPD, TMP, HS, etc) typically left me feeling exhilarated. I can't speak for other people but I get the impression they are generally liked/adored by most.
I'm not exhilarated after these episodes... though I'm sometimes amused. Reading through various forums, I sort the posters into these categories:
1) I hate Negima, but I like Shinbo -- this rocks.
2) I love Negima and this is heresy...
3) I love Negima and Shinbo rocks so I'm in some quantum state (I'm thinking Dorktower and Igor when he's evaluating LOTR vs PJ:LOTR)
4) I like Negima and Shinbo is cool .... but neither meme is being stoked here.
I'm one of the few in category 4 --- so most posters seem to react negatively to my comments.
As far as my "objective" tone... I'm not prefacing every sentence with (imo).. but then no one does consistently. I do try to provide supporting data or examples so that the post rises above the "XXXX rokks/suxx" however, I'm sure I can always improve. "300" is getting rather wretched reviews from the "usual critics" but the viewers seem to love it because it delivers exactly what it promises. Since Shinbo took on the task of an original story using pre-existing characters, he raised the bar himself on expectations. What I'm taking away from this series is a better sense of what he's good at and not so good at.