My Top 10 Japanese Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every worthwhile release. Predictably, the mainstream series get all the attention, however, countless gems of overlooked works waiting to be discovered.

A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is finding a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and recommending it to friends. I present of the finest under-the-radar manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve.

Some of these series lack a large audience, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. Some could be harder to access due to their publishing platforms. Sharing any of these grants you some serious bragging rights.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

• Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I confess that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by exploring strange labyrinths 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 keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is an accessible title from a top company, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're looking for a brief, enjoyable diversion, this manga is highly recommended.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the saturated market, but two series changed my mind this year. It recalls the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, stylized art, and sudden violence. A random click got me hooked and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than aiding his quest for revenge. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then search no more. 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 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 poor neighborhood where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its infrequent release pace. Starting in 2022, only five volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

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

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

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle 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 ruthless soldier group to become a powerful tactician, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The world feels a bit standard, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but it still provided bleak developments and unexpected plot twists. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an enjoyable mix of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A cold-hearted main character who follows the philosophy of 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 little feet 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