@Eonlars
I think that's a bit reductionist. If you want to see bad drama like this, read "Shounen A" where the world just wants to shit on him despite the main character being justified and borderline depicted as perfect.
That manga is just suffering for the sake of suffering and it shows.
In this series, the characters are much more fleshed out and there's a lot more subtly and implication-based storytelling, where everything is more depicted in shades of grey and it's unclear what's right or wrong, or who is in the right. The fact each character has their own psychological issues that are reflections of the circumstances they find themselves in, and that are due to the actions of others around them, makes it much more realistic. They're not just depressed for no reason, but have legitimate reasons for being depressed or for their anxiety. Plus there's a continuing theme of how family and community puts pressure on people which inform and shape their actions, and how that may conflict with their own internal desires for freedom compared to what other people want for them.
The Grandmother is going senile given her age and has to live with the family because she has nowhere else to turn to, which is not uncommon, but I also think it's implied in this chapter part of what caused her senility is her husband leaving her and the stress caused from that.
Chako is depressed because her parents are overprotective of her, which leads her not to be able to make the choices she wants to, which compounds in that she has to be the third party to prevent Gen's abuse from overpowering Rei. Also, the man she loves is not only suicidal and in a bad situation, but has slept with several other women, which obviously makes her feel betrayed.
Yuri clearly has shown that the reason she's so obsessive towards Reiji is because of her own situation in which her family continues to pester her to have children and to get married, mixed with the fact she has this savior complex/broken-bird syndrome due to Reiji's fragile mental state, leading her to want to not only help him but to be with him. Hence he's such a key opportunity that she's very attached to him.
Nagi's shows that she's suicidal due to her neglectful husband, and that she just doesn't see any reason to live anymore. She's so incredibly lonely from her idol career and basically has learned to trust no one, and so thinks the best way to liberate herself is through death.
The bully is implied to have feelings for Reiji but can't express them out of fear of ostracization and because he has to inherit his father's legacy, and so he thinks the best way to ensure he can be with Reiji is to prevent him from leaving and exerting such control over him that he can't go.
The writer is the most enigmatic figure that seems to have ties to everyone, and, while we don't know the specific details of his personality, what we get indicates a person who is very self-aware and knows his own shortcomings as a person. He says when Chako rejects him that she made the right choice and his seeming indifference to the world indicates he doesn't have much investment in anything.
These aren't surface level figures but have multiple layers to them that you can dissect and analyze. There are just as compelling narratives built on much less information but the subtle storytelling and writing indicates to me a very detailed and interesting narrative.