A Curated List of 10 Manga I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to keep up with every significant release. Predictably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration.

A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.

Some of these series are still awaiting a large audience, notably because they are without anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to where they're available. Sharing 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
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. Manga can be silly, and there's nothing wrong with that. I confess that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While the title doesn't fully fit the genre, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who vents his stress by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Author: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the saturated market, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the finest elements of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and got hooked instantly.

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 more interested in protecting Gotsuji than aiding his quest for revenge. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to go the distance — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is spectacular, meticulous, and one-of-a-kind. The story doesn't stray far from classic shonen conventions, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the characters are all quirky and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a working-class district where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga has powers relating to the way the human died: a hanging victim has the power to choke people, one who ended their own life causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai might become a major title, but it's constrained by its infrequent release pace. Starting in 2022, only five volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

• Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga approaches the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it presents large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but it still delivered dark turns and surprising narrative shifts. It's a grown-up battle manga with a group of eccentric individuals, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of strategy and horror.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A cold-hearted main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its tiny paws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you