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

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to keep up with every noteworthy title. As always, the mainstream series dominate conversations, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures waiting to be discovered.

One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is finding a largely unknown series in the sea of new chapters and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve.

Several entries here have not yet reached a large audience, partly due to they are without anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to where they're available. But recommending any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While this series diverges from the template, it uses similar story beats, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is an accessible title from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're seeking a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is an excellent option.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. It reminds me of the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I stumbled upon it accidentally and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who purges ghosts in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the absurd look of the enemies and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, meticulous, and unique. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: a hanging victim has the power to choke people, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a skilled strategist, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but The Bugle Call still surprised me with grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A emotionally distant main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its small claws 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