Comment by VHRanger

I would say Java the language is fine, but the culture around it is what's grown the distaste many have for it. The overuse of design patterns, etc.

I also find it fun how Guy Steele had in retrospect the perfect plan for Java back in the 1990s, and it took them 15 years to come around to it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ahvzDzKdB0