I think it's SUPER helpful for creators to kinda.... prepare for these comments once you start getting them, because I think like, having a positive answer ready can make it feel less disheartening and helpless. EVEN THOUGH ITS A FRUSTRATING COMMENT TO GET, it's so easy to answer this in like... a way that makes you look bad? Which I think is part of why it's so hard to get these comments; there's literally no way to say "um, no, it's different" that doesn't put you on the defensive.
So if there's one of these I get a lot, I kind of try to embrace it as an advertising technique?
Like if someone says "oh, so it's like Voltron?"
You can respond "No, it's not. Literally the only thing it has in common with Voltron is giant robots" and even though that's completely true, it puts a weird taste in people's mouths because you've been forced onto the defensive.
Or you can be like "yeah, it has giant robots with pilots like Voltron, but instead of having these different pilots who combine to make a super powered robot, I wanted to make it more sinister, where the AI of this giant robot corrupts others and destroys their minds." Now you've not only pointed out how your thing is different from Voltron, and did it in a positive way, but you've also gotten a chance to pitch your series out of it!!
To answer the actual prompt,
I have a Ye Olde Trapped In A Video Game Story that's in the works, so of course I get tons of "you should watch SwordArtOnline" and "oh so like .hack//??" and TBH I DONT EVEN BLAME THEM, haha; my usual answer is "yeah, kinda!!" and then I just start talking about it. I think mine is different, but it's such a specific premise, even if it gets done all the time, it definitely invites comparison.
Runewriters doesn't get compared to other things often but I have had a surprising number of folks who thought it was a D&D campaign rather than a story I created myself? So that's a bit of a different spin on it xD
Someone at a con once asked if Today Nothing Happened (my old journal comic) was like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and I HAD NO IDEA IF IT WAS LIKE THAT so I was just like "kinda? It's also a comic diary, but it's funny!" I don't remember if she ended up buying it or not. xD