I like this opinion

i've been lucky to play and own all mainstream FF titles:
I&II on PSP
III&IV on DS
V&VI on GBA
VII/VIII/IX on PS1/PSN
X/XII on PS2
XIII on PS3

the ones I'd recommend are: IV/VI/VII/IX/X/XII

Me neither but i though about trying one of the PS1 classics available on Playstation Store. Does it matter which one i play? Do i miss out on any story if i pick a newer one? Also, i can play the first 9 games in the series on Vita if i wanted since they are all on Playstation Store. Shame there ain't a demo for any of them

FFVII is the king of JRPGs & if u haven't play it till now & u want to call your self a JRPG fan then that's sound like a very bad joke, simple as that.

Well im not really a JRPG fan, the only JRPG I've completed is Chrono Trigger (which so far I am liking a lot better then FFVI)

I'm mostly into RPG's like the Mario and Luigi series, Paper Mario series, and Pokemon.

Well Chrono Trigger is for a lot of JRPG fans their favorite JRPG & considered to be one of the best also, but if u have the chance & the time to try FFVII then I don't find a reason to pass that chance as this game other than the LEGENDARY status it holds it gave millions of ppl a life experience they never forget & most of them have only sweet memmories to remind them of the good old days when JRPGs had the power to do that to mark u for a lifetime.

Don't play anything after 10. 

FFXII while not really a tradional FF game is a fantasic game, better than 10. And FFX-2, while being a game you can't play around other people (toocheesy) has a better battle system than 10.

All FF games are good and better than most other jrpgs.

You listen to me God dammit! 

Dont go into any of the Final Fantasy games expecting it to be better than Chrono Trigger. Understand that they are completely different games and Chronos battle system is different than Final Fantasy. I also would tell an FF fan to go into Paper Mario with an open mind. I wouldn't want them going into Paper Mario trying to compare it with Final Fantasy.

Just go into Final Fantasy with an open mind. All the Final Fantasy games have different experienced so you might like 1 but may dislike another.

But start with a 3d Final Fantasy because they ateare the best reprentation of what FF is. The closest main Final Fantasy experience to something like Paper Mario is probably Final Fantasy 9. 

So yes, start with either Final Fantasy 9 or 10. FF9 is the most noob friendly FF with 10 coming in 2nd, 7 3rd and 8 having the hardest learning curve imo

If you want more classical settings, go with the older games. If you want a more futuristic theme, go with the newer ones.