I've always been a Kanto hater (I don't watch the anime, so i can't comment on that). I just feel like Kanto fans are unwilling to change, and that bugs me a ton. I never had the best Unova experience either, but it is much better than Kanto.
Well, region design wise, they both suck. One's squished together and the other's a loop. But in gameplay, it really depends, then you gotta factor in nostalgia. Kanto is the most simplistic of the games where you beat the 8 gym leaders, beat up some crooks and done. Meanwhile in games like BW, the game lies HEAVILY on the evil team and their story. It's just how the gameplay is, but in the end, I lean towards Unova.
Unova is my favorite of the regions. The games were phenomenal. I also really like Kanto though. I don't think there are any regions I hate, per se. I assume you really like Cheren too?