🔗 Share this article The 10 Best Comics I Read This Year (Which Are Mostly Unknown). Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to track every worthwhile release. As always, the most popular series dominate conversations, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. A key pleasure for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve. A few of these titles are still awaiting a large audience, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to their publishing platforms. However, suggesting any of these provides some notable geek cred. 10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero Art from the series Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but hear me out. Comics are often fun, and it's part of the charm. I admit that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While The Plain Salary Man isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. 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 one of the few from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, the series is a great choice. 9. The Nito Exorcists Art from the series 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 two series changed my mind this year. It evokes the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I stumbled upon it accidentally and got hooked instantly. Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who purges ghosts in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The premise sounds simple, but the treatment of the characters is as delicate as the art, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — provided it survives. 8. Gokurakugai Art from the series Artist: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz When artistic excellence matters most, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, meticulous, and unique. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area 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: someone who hanged themselves has the power to choke people, one who perished by suicide causes blood loss, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's limited due to its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song Art from the series Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Viz This grim fantasy manga approaches the common conflict theme from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. 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 to eventually earn his freedom. The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still provided grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of military themes and dark fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian Art from the series Author: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus A emotionally distant main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its little feet 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
Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to track every worthwhile release. As always, the most popular series dominate conversations, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. A key pleasure for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve. A few of these titles are still awaiting a large audience, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to their publishing platforms. However, suggesting any of these provides some notable geek cred. 10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero Art from the series Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but hear me out. Comics are often fun, and it's part of the charm. I admit that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While The Plain Salary Man isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. 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 one of the few from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, the series is a great choice. 9. The Nito Exorcists Art from the series 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 two series changed my mind this year. It evokes the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I stumbled upon it accidentally and got hooked instantly. Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who purges ghosts in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The premise sounds simple, but the treatment of the characters is as delicate as the art, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — provided it survives. 8. Gokurakugai Art from the series Artist: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz When artistic excellence matters most, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, meticulous, and unique. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area 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: someone who hanged themselves has the power to choke people, one who perished by suicide causes blood loss, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's limited due to its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song Art from the series Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Viz This grim fantasy manga approaches the common conflict theme from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. 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 to eventually earn his freedom. The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still provided grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of military themes and dark fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian Art from the series Author: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus A emotionally distant main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its little feet 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