My Top 10 Manga I Read This Year (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to discover every noteworthy title. As always, the mainstream series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of overlooked works just out of sight.

A key pleasure for any manga enthusiast is stumbling upon a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.

Several entries here have not yet reached a broad readership, especially as they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to their publishing platforms. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some serious bragging rights.

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

• Creators: 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 bear with me. The medium embraces absurdity, and that's perfectly fine. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a RPG-like world structure. The appeal, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by exploring strange labyrinths that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. 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.

There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're seeking a short, lighthearted escape, this manga is a great choice.

9. The Nito Exorcists

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

Usually, 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. This series reminds me of the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, stylized art, 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 paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the absurd look of the enemies and the bloody fights is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to run for a long time — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and unique. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the characters are all quirky and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging has the power to choke people, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that adds depth to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This bleak fantasy manga examines the ubiquitous battle trope 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—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but it still surprised me with dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Author: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its tiny paws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you