An option in the menu to skip animations would be fine by me, but people really overreact to stuff like this. I almost never minded these sorts of animations as a kid, and I've found that I enjoy video games far more when I let myself slow down a little and suppress the urge to rush through them.
I understand why you wouldn't want a bloated door opening animation or something slowing you down in a shooter, but JRPGs especially live and die by these little touches that immerse you in the world/battles.