The 10 Best Comics I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, staying on top to discover every noteworthy title. Inevitably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures just out of sight.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a largely unknown series in the sea of new chapters and spreading the word 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.

Some of these series are still awaiting a mainstream following, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. Some could be less accessible due to where they're available. But recommending any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as 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 bear with me. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I admit that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While the title isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, 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.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man 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 saturated market, but my opinion was altered this year. This series reminds me of the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who purges ghosts 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 character development is subtle and refined, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is stunning, intricate, and unique. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai might become a major title, but it's limited due to its slower publication rate. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters 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
• Available on: Viz

This dark fantasy manga approaches the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it showcases epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a cruel mercenary band to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech feels forced at times, but it still provided bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, 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 cold-hearted main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its small claws is the only thing that relieves his stiff shoulders. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you