I see, I think with end I find that it works because he can actually make it feel purposeful or sensicial to the plot, while with others it may feel abrupt or random. I get what you're saying about needing the setting to be right and stuff as well.
Typically I probably wasn't much of a fan of very grim dark stuff that end master writes about, and I've even told him that when I first read his tories they carried a lot of shock value for me, although i suppose my experience with end and his writing has probably helped open my mind towards more "controversial " Or hard to write about plots.