Story: While hard to follow, Amatsuki has one of the best stories I've seen in a manga in ages. It starts off with a fairly ordinary premise: a boy gets trapped in another world. However, there's more to the story than just this generic, straightforward plot; questions of how Toki is trapped inside the game and what Amatsuki really IS keep you guessing throughout the story and make the whole concept of "a new world" far more intriguing than it usually is. The story is very thought-out, everything is perfectly intertwined, and there are a handful of twists I certainly didn't see coming.

The story's greatest weakness, I think, is that it unfolds almost like a mystery novel at times and is presented in such a way that it can be very difficult to follow at times. It will probably require you to read through it at least twice before getting a true understanding of everything that's going on. 9/10

Art: Gorgeous and detailed. Not much else to say here. 10/10

Character: The strongest point of the manga. Although Amatsuki has a pretty huge cast, almost none of the characters have gotten the short end of the stick in terms of developement. The characters all seem almost real in the way that all of them have obvious strengths, flaws, and motivations for what they do. While some people complain that there is no obvious antagonist in Amatsuki, this is one of the best parts about it: there are no stereotypically "good" or "evil" characters, just characters on different sides, all with understandable motivations and a whole lot of depth. 10/10

Enjoyment: This is where the manga is hurt the most. Amatsuki, while an excellent manga, is not for everyone. This is a manga that requires a degree of thought and effort to be able to see it for what it's really worth. If you're just looking for a manga to read for fun and enjoyment, you should probably look for something else. Not that you CAN'T just enjoy Amatsuki without thinking about it, it's just not the best manga to read if you're just looking for something fun, fast-paced, and full of action. 7/10

Overall: Good plot, amazing characters, and gorgeous art. It's sometimes hard to follow, but definitely worth the ride if you're willing to figure it out. 10/10