>>3993717
He manages to combine a lot of appealing qualities that are usually mutually exclusive. Some of this is thanks to Togashi's style. Like how he's usually drawn as a cute stringbean but also has a few times where he goes full muscle shota.
This allows him to be a sort of quantum shota. He is a thin, lithe, sensitive beauty with porcelain skin and soft fluffy hair like fresh snow. And tough, sinewy, rough from abuse, and spiky and edgy both inside and out. And traditionally cute and playful and springy and boyish. All simultaneously.
Then on top of that he's a shounen protagonist, so he's allowed to have a fully fleshed out personality and character arc unlike shotas in other contexts where they're usually unexplored side characters or trapped in BL where plot and character development are mandated to be minimal.
And the character he does have is very appealing. He's worldly enough to make him confident and cool in most situations, but he's totally sheltered, inexperienced, and easily flustered in matters of romance and sex so his innocence is still up for the taking. He's got just enough trauma and tragedy to trigger the desire to care for, protect, and heal him but not so much as to be depressing. And he's allowed to exhibit a full range of emotion from mischevious playfulness, to heartbroken moodiness, to murderous but icy rage.
And to top it all off, he is incredibly gay. There is zero need to cope and headcanon with him. He has zero interest in girls and is obviously in love with another boy.
He's basically perfect.