My Top 10 Comics I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to track every worthwhile release. Inevitably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of hidden gems just out of sight.

One of the greatest joys for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and recommending it to friends. I present of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're worthy of attention prior to a potential boom.

Several entries here are still awaiting a broad readership, partly due to they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero

• Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but hear me out. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an overpowered main character and a game-influenced setting. The appeal, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few published by a major house, and thus readily accessible to international audiences on a digital platform. For easy reading, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're seeking a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists evokes the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than aiding his quest for revenge. The plot may seem basic, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is a compelling layer. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

• Artist: Yuto Sano
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz

If breathtaking art is your priority, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on the series is breathtaking, meticulous, and distinctive. The story doesn't stray far from classic shonen conventions, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: a hanging victim has the power to choke people, one who ended their own life induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's constrained by its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a novel angle for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the addition of advanced concepts occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of strategy and horror.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A cold-hearted main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its little feet is a unique cure for his aches. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you