ghostfacekiller39 
Sunny Day Realtor
I don't think I've ever actively defended SAO from criticism since I find most of it to be at least somewhat fair and I don't feel strongly enough about series in either direction to want to put energy into actually discussing it, but I absolutely make fun of people who try too hard to rip on it. Shit's really obnoxious with how overbearing people get about it.
Don't need to defend something when you could just go on the offensive.
A lot of it tends to be people who aren't very familiar with anime/manga/LNs/whatever trying to signal that they're in the know, and since they usually lack the perspective to actually **be** in the know, it tends to be very obviously insincere bullshit. Mix that with how much of it is just empty hyperbole and that the anime adaptation is damn near 10 years old at this point, it's just kind of cringey.
Mike legit probably has the best way of going about being a newb weeb. Doesn't pretend he's an anime expert or enter and immediately try to do some AVGN-esque schtick as an anime critic, whether or not he has the breadth of perspective to lend as much credibility be damned. Just has his shit he likes like Initial D, he joins the discussion equipped with what he knows and doesn't put on obnoxious pretenses. His only mistake is using fucking Anilist.
Experience tells me that most really vocal SAO haters tend to be in his position, but go about it in the complete opposite way. And if I just said I think he goes about things in the optimal way, well...
Not like ragging on people for acting like that is bad, anyway. It's a fruitless discussion to have since they're rarely equipped to actually have it in the first place, and in SAO's case in particular, it's a discussion I don't care to have, even with a capable opponent. Mockery can be used to ground people in reality a bit and make them self-aware if actual discourse isn't a viable option. They won't respond well immediately, sure, but it'll make the little cogs start turning and maybe eventually they can become somebody you can have a decent conversation with about your shared hobby. If somebody is acting embarrassing, make a joke out of it. Ez.
A lot of it tends to be people who aren't very familiar with anime/manga/LNs/whatever trying to signal that they're in the know, and since they usually lack the perspective to actually **be** in the know, it tends to be very obviously insincere bullshit. Mix that with how much of it is just empty hyperbole and that the anime adaptation is damn near 10 years old at this point, it's just kind of cringey.
Mike legit probably has the best way of going about being a newb weeb. Doesn't pretend he's an anime expert or enter and immediately try to do some AVGN-esque schtick as an anime critic, whether or not he has the breadth of perspective to lend as much credibility be damned. Just has his shit he likes like Initial D, he joins the discussion equipped with what he knows and doesn't put on obnoxious pretenses. His only mistake is using fucking Anilist.
Experience tells me that most really vocal SAO haters tend to be in his position, but go about it in the complete opposite way. And if I just said I think he goes about things in the optimal way, well...
Not like ragging on people for acting like that is bad, anyway. It's a fruitless discussion to have since they're rarely equipped to actually have it in the first place, and in SAO's case in particular, it's a discussion I don't care to have, even with a capable opponent. Mockery can be used to ground people in reality a bit and make them self-aware if actual discourse isn't a viable option. They won't respond well immediately, sure, but it'll make the little cogs start turning and maybe eventually they can become somebody you can have a decent conversation with about your shared hobby. If somebody is acting embarrassing, make a joke out of it. Ez.