A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it becomes a challenge to discover every noteworthy new series. As always, the biggest series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is stumbling upon a largely unknown series in the sea of new chapters and recommending it to friends. I present of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're worth checking out ahead of the curve.

A few of these titles have not yet reached a large audience, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. Some could be less accessible due to their publishing platforms. Sharing any of these will earn you some serious bragging rights.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but bear with me. Comics are often fun, and it's part of the charm. I admit that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who vents his stress by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, 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 leave the office on time for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is an accessible title published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences through a popular app. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're seeking a few minutes of silly fun, the series is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

• Creator: 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 genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. It reminds me of the finest elements of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than supporting his vengeance. The storyline appears straightforward, but the character development is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is spectacular, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The story doesn't stray far 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 setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a poor neighborhood where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, 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 causes blood loss, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that adds depth to these antagonists. This series might become a major title, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

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

This bleak fantasy manga tackles the common conflict theme from a novel angle for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a skilled strategist, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech feels forced at times, but this series still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A calculating main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since 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