The 10 Best Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, staying on top to keep up with every worthwhile new series. Predictably, the most popular series dominate conversations, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures just out of sight.

One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is finding a mostly obscure series in the sea of new chapters and recommending it to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve.

Some of these series lack a mainstream following, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some serious bragging rights.

10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I confess 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 overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who unwinds by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is a rare example released by a leading publisher, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're seeking a few minutes of silly fun, this manga is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

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

Ordinarily, 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 strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, unique visuals, and sudden violence. I stumbled upon it accidentally and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who purges ghosts in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is a compelling layer. This is a series with great promise to become a hit — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

• Artist: Yuto Sano
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz

For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on the series is stunning, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a low-income area 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 manner of death: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that adds depth to these antagonists. Gokurakugai might become a major title, but it's limited due to its slower publication rate. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

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

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

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but it still provided grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A cold-hearted 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 small claws 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