🔗 Share this article A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Which Are Mostly Unknown). As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, staying on top to keep up with every noteworthy release. Predictably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, however, countless gems of hidden gems just out of sight. One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is stumbling upon a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom. Several entries here are still awaiting a mainstream following, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to digital exclusivity. Sharing any of these will earn you some notable geek cred. 10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero Art from the series Authors: 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 that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change. There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences on a digital platform. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, the series is an excellent option. 9. The Exorcists of Nito Manga panel Author: Iromi Ichikawa Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series recalls the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner 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 more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the treatment of the characters is subtle and refined, and the visual contrast between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Art from the series 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 the series is breathtaking, detailed, and unique. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the characters are all quirky and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together. The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement. 7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song Illustration Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Available on: Viz This grim fantasy manga tackles the common conflict theme from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band 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 feels forced at times, but it still provided dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an interesting combination of military themes and dark fantasy. 6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao Manga panel Creator: Sho Yamazaki Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A calculating main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its little feet is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you
As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, staying on top to keep up with every noteworthy release. Predictably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, however, countless gems of hidden gems just out of sight. One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is stumbling upon a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom. Several entries here are still awaiting a mainstream following, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to digital exclusivity. Sharing any of these will earn you some notable geek cred. 10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero Art from the series Authors: 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 that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change. There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences on a digital platform. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, the series is an excellent option. 9. The Exorcists of Nito Manga panel Author: Iromi Ichikawa Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series recalls the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner 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 more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the treatment of the characters is subtle and refined, and the visual contrast between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Art from the series 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 the series is breathtaking, detailed, and unique. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the characters are all quirky and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together. The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement. 7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song Illustration Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Available on: Viz This grim fantasy manga tackles the common conflict theme from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band 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 feels forced at times, but it still provided dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an interesting combination of military themes and dark fantasy. 6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao Manga panel Creator: Sho Yamazaki Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A calculating main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its little feet is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you