My Top 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, staying on top to discover every noteworthy title. As always, the biggest series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures just out of sight.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a hidden series in the sea of new chapters and then sharing it to friends. I present of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.

Several entries here have not yet reached a large audience, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. Sharing any of these will earn you some impressive fan credentials.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

This may seem like a strange choice, but hear me out. Comics are often fun, and it's part of the charm. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While this series isn't strictly an isekai, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The unique hook, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He doesn't care about 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 from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences through a popular app. Regarding online access, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're seeking a few minutes of silly fun, the series is a great choice.

9. The Nito Exorcists

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the saturated market, but my opinion was altered this year. This series recalls the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is subtle and refined, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to go the distance — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, detailed, and unique. The plot remains within from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the way the human died: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai has potential for massive popularity, but it's constrained by its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song

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

This bleak fantasy manga examines 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—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, 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 with the hope of one day stepping away.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a collection of odd personalities, an interesting power system, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

• Author: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: 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 a unique cure for his aches. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you