Okay, here is my two cents about this whole thing. I was 8 years old when the OT came. I did watch SW with my dad before, but I was too young to fully grasp the themes of the OT. I had little concept of bad directing or bad writing. All I remember is identifying with Anakin, enjoying the magnificent musical score and vibrating with the Lightsaber and the magnificent Duel of Fates. I also remember not liking, but neither disliking Jar Jar. In fact, I found interesting how he made it to representative in the Senate.
I had very little memories of AotC, but seeing Yoda fight for the first time and being an absolute unstoppable beast was one of my hypest cinematic moments in memory. By the time RotS came, I was older and improved sense of criticism, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the movie. I remember being disappointed with General Grievous (I did watch Gendy Cartoon before), but I loved almost all other action in the movie, specially the Yoda Vs Sidious and the Obi-Wan vs Anakin duels. I was tense when Anakin became Vader. It is probably my most watched childhood movie alongside Return of the King.
Yes, upon rewatching as I got older, I saw the flaws in the movies I loved. There is bad acting, directing and writing. But I also saw awesome choreography in the lightsaber duels and space battles, I saw a interesting lore and worldbuilding that made me read as much SW material as possible. The prequels delivered action and intensity that I wasn't getting from no other movie franchise. Even with the blatant flaws, I can still watch and enjoy the prequels while acknowledging the flaws.
Seriously, what was there in my childhood that could deliver what the prequels delivered? Harry Potter was awesome, but didn't have action comparable to Star Wars. Lord of Rings delivered action and were far better movies, no wonder they are among the my favorites movies of all time, but it also didn't deliver the fast paced duels of the prequels.
Legitimate flaws aside, I think much hatred the prequels got come from older fans, or contemporaneity fans who didn't experience the movies like me, and that didn't like how certain things were presented. The awesome and fearsome Darth Vader of the OT was, at one point, a puny kid and later bratty teenager! The legendary Jedi heard in the OT were a flawed organization that had much of their fall come from their arrogance and incompetence; the peaceful sage-like Yoda was like fast moving light saber tornado! Those were things that I didn't mind that I saw people complaining non-stop!
The ST are better directed movies, with overall better writing and cinematography. But it lacks the things that I loved from the prequels: intense lightsaber duels, space battles and world building. I admit, I am disappointed of Luke turned out in the ST. I was hoping the would get a AotC Yoda-like moment with him and Snoke, but I got subversion and I got see it being praised by many fans. Well, that's life, and what is done is done. Johnson delivered a vision that many fans were clamoring for and I wasn't, but that's fine. I still enjoying the ST and liked the TLJ too.
I'm glad that the prequels are finally getting some sort of the acknowledging by the fanbase after almost an entire decade of bombardment. I won't ever attack any movie, actor or director like those movies, the actors and George Lucas got. And fuck everyone who is harassing ST/Lucasarts. There is a clearly difference between criticism of them (which I have plenty, just like people had plenty for the Prequels) and bullshit attacking.
