Wow, I think I have almost the exact opposite opinion here.

Java is an ok language, but what really makes it shine is the JVM. It's one of the fastest VMs out there and is one of the most customizable ones as well. For example, pretty much all other languages with a GC have just a GC and that's it. Java allows you to pick and choose your GC based on the workload.

It is one of the least limiting VMs out there because any knob you might want to tune, can be tuned. It's a huge value add.

I think the only part of the JVM that's not great is the fact that objects are bulky and the lack of value classes. Which ultimately means every struct like object you want can have a pretty hefty price in terms of memory. But otherwise, it's best in class basically for everything.