Plot/Story
"The enormous cave system, known as the Abyss, is the only unexplored place in the world. Nobody knows how far down this titanic pit goes, inhabited by strange and wondrous creatures and full of mysterious ancient relics whose purpose is unknown to modern man. Generations of bold adventurers have been drawn by the cryptic depths of the Abyss. Over the course of time those bold enough to explore the dangerous pit came to be known as "Cave Raiders."

In Orth, the town at the edge of the Abyss, there lives a little orphan named Riko, who dreams of becoming as great a cave raider as her mother was and solving the great mystery of the pit. One day exploring the murky depths she stumbles upon a little boy, who turns out to be a robot..."

That's the synopsis on MAL, and I think it's best left at that. I believe Made in Abyss only works when a reader has as little knowledge as possible on what the story is and what directions it takes. Made in Abyss has hook after hook that takes you along for a ride down into the abyss, with a plot so well paced in the structure of the abyss layers that reading it is like falling down a rabbit hole. The pace only really takes a breather during the latest chapters released but that again has to do with the thematic structure of what it is our characters explore in the manga. The story is anything but what it looks like on the surface; and that's really all I can say without spoiling what makes Made in Abyss what it is.

Drawing Style
Akihito Tsukushi's art is what hooked me in, for without his unique art style, Made in Abyss couldn't begin with this subversion. The art is a very well made blend that serves as a well fitting medium through which the story is told. The highlights for me are the backgrounds/sceneries and the qualities of the base character design slate that allow for the fantastic variety of character designs and the emotive movements and facial expressions. To go even further, what specifically makes this art special is the weight in the emotional and action climaxes of each chapter that the art creates. When something of note happens in Made in Abyss, it is conveyed through the art with lines and contrasts so perfect for each event depicted that its a little scary how good Tsukushi is at this.

Characters
The characters themselves are great, and the main group is naturally the highlight of the manga's cast. Without spoiling anything, Made in Abyss has this ability to make me genuinely feel and root for characters. I think this comes down to the great art; the emotions that the characters are able to express feel real and have the weight necessary to make readers empathize or simply understand them. When a character grieves, I can't really help but grieve alongside them in a weird sort of sympathy.

Enjoyment
I've thoroughly enjoyed the 47 chapters that have been scanlated, and I can't help but check every other day for new updates. I thoroughly enjoyed and will enjoy this manga; it's so different to anything else I've read. I've personally never really enjoyed genres like sci-fi, fantasy and adventure but this manga... This manga has something special, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Overall
Its a 5/5 from me, and while that rating might change, as Made in Abyss is right now I can't stress enough how much I recommend it.