A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Read This Year (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to discover every noteworthy title. Inevitably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of hidden gems just out of sight.

One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is unearthing a largely unknown series amidst the weekly releases and recommending it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.

Several entries here lack a mainstream following, notably because they are without anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these grants you some serious bragging rights.

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

• Writing Team: 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. Comics are often fun, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While this series isn't strictly an isekai, it uses similar story beats, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who relieves pressure by entering fantastical portals that materialized globally, 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 a rare example released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, the series is an excellent option.

9. The Nito Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. It recalls the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The premise sounds simple, but the character development is subtle and refined, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the absurd look of the enemies and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

• Author: 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 spectacular, detailed, and unique. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a working-class district where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the way the human died: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai has potential for massive popularity, but it's held back by its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This dark fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a ruthless soldier group to become a skilled strategist, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but it still delivered dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an interesting power system, and an pleasing blend of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A emotionally distant main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its small claws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you