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

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to keep up with every significant new series. Inevitably, the mainstream series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of overlooked works waiting to be discovered.

A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is finding a hidden series in the sea of new chapters and recommending it to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention before they gain widespread popularity.

Some of these series have not yet reached a broad readership, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Some could be trickier to read due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these provides some notable geek cred.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I confess that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While the title isn't strictly an isekai, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The appeal, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus readily accessible to international audiences on a digital platform. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, the series is a great choice.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and sudden violence. I stumbled upon it accidentally and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who purges ghosts in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the visual contrast between the silly appearance of the spirits and the violent battles is an effective bonus. This is a series with real potential to go the distance — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

• Artist: Yuto Sano
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus; Viz

When artistic excellence matters most, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close of typical hero's journey beats, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. 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 wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai might become a major title, but it's held back by its slower publication rate. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

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

This bleak fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it depicts large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. 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 cruel mercenary band to become a skilled strategist, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but The Bugle Call still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

• Author: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A cold-hearted main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism becomes the owner of 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