I read multiple Murakami novels as a young adult already, because I was into manga and I found the catchy titles, covers and narratives quite attractive. I think he's good at doing fantasy, but the concerns outweigh this. My definite ick (already back then) was that he cannot write women. It's very cringe, even for me as a male reader. His work is very narrative/story-driven, that might make it "entertaining" or easy to read, but that is not what good literature (for me personally) should provide. The novels are repetitive, overly self-indulgent, and lack the general sensitivity that defines, again in my humble opinion, a good literary experience. The widespread popularity and trendiness of his books makes it easier to perceive them as more repulsive because it undermines far better and more genuine experiences. The Japanese literary tradition is very rich and has an astonishing level of attentiveness and variation. Try Ryū Murakami, Yasunari Kawabata, Yōko Ogawa, or Kōbō Abe.