i really like a few things about this manga; if it weren't assasination based i think it would be a little easier to recommend, since the high quality insight you get in here is offset by the very brutal beginning: the main lead tatsumi exacts revenge after seeing his friends tortured to death by a high society, polite girl who was just jealous of the girl's looks and believed poor people could be experimented with in that way. tatsumi is made to learn very quickly by the other members of night raid that whatever noble reason he may believe he has for what he's doing, this is still a sin and they could face justice for it at any time, and deservedly so. still, one of the appeals that tatsumi has in this story is his innocence and belief in honesty, and you really do see at points in the story; but it's hard to reconcile that with the deed he does at the start of the manga, and so that drags the story down a little.
but getting past that (and that is a big thing to get past), the author has a fantastic feel for the characters, though this story is foremost an action story and that's what most of the chapters are about. i think one example is wave's (a character similar to tatsumi except he works for the empire; still believes in morals and tries to do what's right) fight with the prime minister's son who abuses his status to sleep with whoever he wants. wave at first tries to grit his teeth and look away, and then finally has it leading to a fight. wave does win the fight, which is refereed by a high ranking general, but prepares to keep attacking as he believes that the prime minister's son deserves to feel the pain he's given to others. the general then flashes before him and knocks him out, reprimanding him that he's won and proven his point, and that the palace does not need to see blood for this. the moment contrasts with the opening one with tatsumi, and again it just feels really real. and there's so much of that in this manga, scenes and characters where you say that's it. another neat touch is how the character's priorities change as they find themselves. the overarching ambition of save the empire, or do what's right or do my job becomes mixed with more personal values. esdese is willing to spare tatsumi's life when he's captured, mine willing to quit night raid to save someone, wave and kurome's relationships, etc.
there's fantastic insight in this story. there's undeniable goriness, and brutality. it's kind of all there, and i really think the author is talented enough to leave the goriness out. but the goriness came first before the insight, and so that's how it is. 9/10