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From what I've seen it's more about how different Haru is from what we've come to expect from the protagonist of a story written by a Japanese author. While the template protagonist is the tried and true way to properly make money, Kawahara has taken a gamble and made Haru a fat, bullied loser. Clearly his gamble has paid off, since AW is numbered at 12 volumes, with more to come, along with an anime with a possible 2nd season.
Some people just like the status quo, that's all.
Also, people tend to dislike things that remind them of a past memory they wish to forget, usually because there were things they wish they did differently. Seeing Haru's reactions to his torment does make them wish he would just man up so he could avoid the things that they went through, so ironically it isn't a case of not being able to identify with him but rather, identifying too much with him.
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