Currently, I'm playing Final Fantasy IX as well (Disc 2, I'm in Cleyra, after the harp broke). Having at least played FF I to VI, I fully can understand the references

But, to be honest, it's one of the best FF's I played (it just can't beat Six, please don't blame me, but I love a certain clown-villain who has a wicked laugh and has just completely lost his mind.)
And I can't understand soemtimes, why people hate it. It is their opinion, true. And if they can give good arguments, like Vyk, that's fine with me.

Let me compare IX and VII. How, don't start to shout. Let's compare the 'greatest' FF VII game ever in the opnion of many fans, to FF IX.

I have played FF VII. So all FF VII lovers or FF IX haters, don't start shouting: "You think IX is great just because you haven't played VII!", stop, I did play it. And I will finish it after I completed IX and V. VII is not a bad game, but it's certainly not a reason to hate IX.

If you ask me to choose between Zidane or Cloud, well, Zidane gets my vote. You are right, the game feels believable.
And it also brought back the fantasy, something I just missed too much in VII or even VIII, for that matter.

I haven't seen Sephiroth in VII yet, so I can't compare him to Kuja, and perhaps I just saw to less of Kuja up until now. But Kuja is not a bad villain at all, if you ask me, I just find it a bit disturbing that he looks like a woman... (I heard that in Japan, he originally was intended to be a woman...). But I just like his attitude.
So yeah, there is a better villain than a certain guy with a very long sword, although that guy with a very long sword seems pretty cool to me, though.

The story of IX... Well, again, if people hate IX because of that, again I have to disagree. It is a very interesting story, ya know. When I first came in Dali, and hadn't heard of Kuja at all, and found out about those Black Mages, I really wanted to know what exactly was going on in this game. It really urged me to continue playing, something I don't have in VII.

The gfx... No, this can't be the reason at all! FF IX gfx are WAY better than VII. But, I can forgive VII, because the bad gfx make the characters look funny...

Music... Well, there's no One-Winged Angel song in FF IX, but I downloaded some music of IX which I have yet to hear in the game. Like Necron's battle music. I must say, it rocks in my opnion. I really can't wait to beat up that blue (?) demon while listening to that nice music.

Speaking of Final Bosses... Well, this is something I have to agree on. I heard Necron's appearance is very sudden. Perhaps that's not really fun. You just defeated Kuja and cry: "Hell yeah, I have beaten the game!", then there's that blue dude showing up wanting to do something like Neo-ExDeath wanted to do (They even use the same attack! "Grand Cross"!). I nowhere could find a good picture of NEcron, I found a small one, and, I must say, I like the look of Safer Sephiroth better. Not saying Necron is bad.

You don't like Necron, FF IX' haters? Why? Because he came so sudden? What about Chaos in FF I? Garland showed up in teh beginning of the game, and came back as Chaos at the end. Isn't that sudden as well? And Zeromus? He too, came a bit sudden, didn't he? I mean, for the whole game, you thought Golbez was the baddy, until Fusoya says it is all Zemus' doing! (Hey, makes me think a bit of Kuja...)
Me myself, I don't mind sudden Final Bosses. It won't ruin the game, it just ads some more excitement, IMHO.

I can't think of anything else to say, except for this:
"You have to come with a very good reason on which many otehr people will agree, to hate FF IX."
Or you must be able to defend you opinion as to why you hate it. If you can do that, no problem. I can defend my reason as to why I don't really like VII, too.