One big factor in contributing whether or not the reader likes a story is influenced greatly on how predictable it is. A typical shounen manga would be so predictable that it's easy to predict exactly what happens: the bad guys get close to "taking over the world," but they're going to lose to the heroes anyway. It's possible they may even join the good guy's side. Akame ga Kill! challenges this concept, and surprises the reader by continuously having very unpredictable results within each fight. You may even question who really are the good guys and the bad guys.
...That being said, Akame ga Kill! is definitely a rare and great find to read for those who enjoy shounen manga. The first chapter blows up and throws so many twists that it makes a good highlight representing the series. Give it a try, and if you dislike the first chapter, I wouldn't recommend reading the manga.
The art used in the manga is rather intense, meaning, if you can't handle gore, try staying away from this manga. The gore is drawn in brilliant detail, and it's actually pretty heartbreaking, but at the same time, commendable, to see people die in such a brutal way (especially so if he/she was one of your favorites).
The gore, although abundant, does not happen for no reason. It's the unique characters who make this manga really stand out. Their ideals are so extreme and twisted that it's almost uncanny. It's really easy to either hate or love someone in this manga. And just when you think you hate someone, the character may show another side to them that makes you question your own ideals.
Though a shounen, this is definitely one that has a darker background than most. There are scenes that are really repulsive due to the sheer torture characters go through. Even some generic shounen aspects like legendary weapons (teigus) are twisted in such a way so that they are meant for torture and death scenes. It's questionable whether or not these sadistic ideals were held by the author due to how brutal some scenes are...
So it's a good thing people can enjoy such a thing like this.
And although I've definitely made a point on emphasizing the dark side of this manga, that doesn't mean it's completely depressing! The "shounen adventure" trope definitely shines through, but is overshadowed by it's other dark characteristic for sure.
I definitely had a good time reading this manga. It's probably one of the few mangas I've read with a lot of gore. After reading Akame ga Kill!, I can say a shounen manga with gore and unpredictability formulates pretty well.
