Is there anything special about fugu meat?
According to an article about Fugu at Maldova Welcome:


  Some people who’ve tried puffer dishes describe it as one of the most
  sublime flavors in the world. Others, apparently less enthusiastic, or
  simply more objective, describe fugu meat as a cross between crunchy
  and chewy, said by the Japanese to go “shiko-shiko” in one’s mouth
  when absolutely fresh. That’s what some consider the main attraction
  of the risky meal. But taste isn’t everything. Many say that fugu is
  simply addictive!


According to YQ Travelling:  "Long answer: like rubber when raw but like silk when cooked."

At New York Food (in an indepth article), Adam Platt says:  


  Hashimoto’s fugu indeed has a certain clean sashimi quality to it, and
  a resilient chewiness, but otherwise it’s a letdown. It tastes
  flavorless and gummy, like a cross between Reichl’s fluke and day-old
  squid.
  
  [ ... ]
  And then the tingling sensation begins. It starts on my lips and seems to be quickly tracking 
  down the back of my throat. I put down my chopsticks and shift my legs
  under the table. I bring the tips of my fingers to my mouth and begin
  touching my lips in a tender, slightly agitated way, like a d
  dental patient shot full of Novocain.
  
  [ ... ]
  
  our next course, which is a little helping of deep-fried fugu ribs. The bony ribs (“These look 
  like hamster ribs,” I tell Shinji) are hacked in little pieces, tossed
  in flour, and seasoned with sea salt and a sprinkling of the dried
  kelp called kombu. The ribs have the nice meaty texture of monkfish,
  they’re perfectly fried, and they’re delicious. (This may simply prove
  that anything tastes good fried, including bony, potentially fatal
  fish ribs.)


However, I suspect the popularity of fugu, especially in Japan is a complex amalgam of factors including:


Pride in cultural heritage, since this is a uniquely Japanese practice, although it is spreading
The enjoyment of the feeling of numbness that properly prepared fugu leaves in the mouth, from just the tiniest traces of the toxin
Popularity of extremely expensive items, which therefore must be special
The art of the presentation, which (as the dish is very expensive) is at its highest levels
Some people are crazy :-)