I get the feeling. Some people equate not liking something to hating it, which is not true (at least not necessarily). It's frustrating when they keep pushing that, though. I have friends that aren't into MLP. I don't take offense or think they're hating. Anime fans can be just like MLP fans or Dr Who fans or any other type of fan when their enthusiasm leads them to start arguments and fights with people who aren't into the same things they are. I think the answer is just to be less emotional and more rational in such discussions (which I'm glad you and the OP seem to be doing).
I used to be an anime fan. I watched tons of shows years back. I eventually slipped out of it because I didn't find new shows to be interesting and I didn't have the time to crawl through old shows because of MLP. When it comes right down to it, I just focus my fan-energy on the things I enjoy the most. That's been MLP for the past 3 years. Maybe it will change in the future and maybe it won't.
I think the lesson of the day is to be respectful of other people and their likes/dislikes. If you want to drill into a deeper discussion of "why" then by all means. Just make sure the other person actually wants to and respect them if they don't. For the record, here's my own reason why I "dislike" anime: all the shows coming out feel the same to me and even the more supposedly unique ones are filled with so many cliches and stereotypes that I'm either disinterested or offended. Again, that's only my personal opinion and no person is expected, obligated, or implied to agree with it.