The 10 Best Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every noteworthy release. Inevitably, the biggest series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems ripe for exploration.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is finding a largely unknown series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.

Several entries here lack a broad readership, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to their publishing platforms. But recommending any of these will earn you some notable geek cred.

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 hear me out. Manga can be silly, and there's nothing wrong with that. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man doesn't fully fit the genre, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by entering fantastical portals that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He has no interest in 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 released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. Regarding online access, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, this manga is a great choice.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

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

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. It reminds me of the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than fueling his retribution. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to go the distance — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

• 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 one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga has powers relating to the way the human died: a hanging victim can strangle others, 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 limited due to its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but it still provided bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A calculating main character who follows the philosophy of 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 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