The 10 Best Comics I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to track every significant title. As always, the most popular series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems just out of sight.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a largely unknown series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're worthy of attention prior to a potential boom.

Several entries here lack a mainstream following, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials.

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

• Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I confess that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title doesn't fully fit the genre, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who unwinds by entering fantastical portals that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, this manga is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. The Nito Exorcists evokes the strongest aspects of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than aiding his quest for revenge. The storyline appears straightforward, 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 gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with great promise to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is breathtaking, detailed, and unique. The plot remains within of typical hero's journey beats, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a working-class district where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga has powers relating 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 adds depth to these antagonists. This series could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song

• Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it depicts epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a cruel mercenary band to become a powerful tactician, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but The Bugle Call still provided bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an interesting power system, and an enjoyable mix of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Creator: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its tiny paws 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