A Curated List of 10 Japanese 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 worthwhile title. Predictably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of overlooked works waiting to be discovered.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is finding a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time before they gain widespread popularity.

Some of these series have not yet reached a large audience, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to their publishing platforms. However, suggesting any of these provides some notable geek cred.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but let me explain. The medium embraces absurdity, and that's perfectly fine. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. 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 keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series recalls the strongest aspects of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, unique visuals, and shocking ferocity. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated.

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 focused on his safety than aiding his quest for revenge. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the stylistic juxtaposition 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 — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, 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 individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues 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 manner of death: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. Since its debut, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This dark fantasy manga tackles the common conflict theme from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech can seem jarring, but it still provided dark turns and surprising narrative shifts. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

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

A calculating main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that 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