AgentBirdnest: Kinda like how Harry Potter is all about kids... and we all know how much you love Harry Potter ;-p (kidding)
I didn't know FFVII was hated. I've heard quite a few people call it their favourite game. My neighbours a few years ago had a TV and Playstation that was used
only for playing FF7, and nothing else. It was so sacred to them that it deserved its own TV :-)
Just look at a lot of the movies these days, they all seem to have kids saving the world when it used to be adults. Even childrens TV shows have switched from adult actors to mostly kids now.
Some people prefer the earlier Final Fantasy games and hate that FFVII is so popular and that it stepped away from the traditional fantasy setting for a more technological approach, which was followed by FFVIII which also went for a more technological setting. It went back to its roots with FFIX, but some the characters were a bit meh for me, although I did still like the game. FFX was the last I have played, as I never had any interest in the newer stuff. I think it depends on which game people started with as well. FFVII was my first Final Fantasy game, as well as my first Playstation game, my first JRPG, and the first game I played with such a huge world and some other things.
Granted a lot of the reason for it being my favourite is down to nostalgia, but I still play the game every year and I still really enjoy it. I like FFVIII as well, especially the nice twist at the end and the darkness of the story. FFVIII also hold a special place for me due to something very personal, but the game is good as well, although the draw system was tedious at times.