Till recently, I was pretty confident that the plot/characters/atmosphere etc. were much more relevant criteria than art in my reading choices.
I mean I have obviously my preferences and my dislikes (extreme shoujo-ish style anyone? With ridiculously huge eyes and anorexic bodies? Also, typical manhwa style. I don't know why, I just can't seem to like it...)

But I stumbled recently upon Akagi and other mangas by Fukumoto Nobuyuki, which have interesting plots and characters (imo), and yet, I find it literally IMPOSSIBLE to read them, because I find the art so repelling... 😔
I guess the art still remains a huge part of what makes a great manga after all.

So, have you ever feel you HAD TO drop an otherwise great manga, because you couldn't stand the art?

Yes, yes I have.
I really wanted to read that manhua but the art was basically rough sketches of a bad artist (not that I could do any better)
Everyone looked like scribbles, it was unbearable 😔

Is this me in a nutshell?
Pretty much.
[img]http://www.dragonflycave.com/wpay/ninetales.gif[/img]

Same thing here. I thought that art isn't very important. Even read some really amateur-ish works with interesting plot but sketchy art.
But I coudn't read Chess Isle. I guess plot and characters are good but art(IMO, other people like it) is awlful.

Well, to me it's difficult to say that the manga would be "otherwise great" because bad art influences me so much that I can't even see the good points of the manga.
However, I usually don't drop the bad art manga instantly, but try to read at least a few volumes if it's popular or the ratings are high. Sometimes I can get used to the type of art (Takemitsu Zamurai), sometimes art gets better with time (Beck), but if not, I have to drop the manga.
A good example is Angel Densetsu, which is very popular, has a very good rating, but I can't read it because it's so ugly.
The art in manga is very important to me.

Quote from scrat03

But I coudn't read Chess Isle. I guess plot and characters are good but art(IMO, other people like it) is awlful.

Oh yeah, I actually started reading this some time ago. I put it on hold because I have other things to read first. It's true the art is kinda weird, the characters seem a bit frozen imo. They have weird expressions. Well the plot did seem interesting, so I hope I'm not gonna hate the art too much when I pick it up...

Quote from Hanae

Well, to me it's difficult to say that the manga would be "otherwise great" because bad art influences me so much that I can't even see the good points of the manga.

Yeah I can relate, even if I usually try to get past it.

Also

Quote from Hanae

A good example is Angel Densetsu, which is very popular, has a very good rating, but I can't read it because it's so ugly.

That's too bad ! 😔 I actually liked the art in Angel Densetsu (each his own...) and I can confirm that its high rating is completely deserved.

http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=1858