🔗 Share this article The 10 Best Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Which Are Mostly Unknown). Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to discover every noteworthy title. Predictably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is stumbling upon a hidden series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention before they gain widespread popularity. Several entries here are still awaiting a mainstream following, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials. 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 Available on: Manga Plus This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change. More polished fantasies are out there, but this is an accessible title published by a major house, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended. 9. Nito's Exorcists Art from the series Creator: Iromi Ichikawa Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Typically, 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. The Nito Exorcists evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is thoughtfully executed, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Art from the series Artist: Yuto Sano Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz If breathtaking art is your priority, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, meticulous, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close of typical hero's journey beats, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where humans and beast-men coexist. The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the manner of death: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's constrained by its slower publication rate. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Bugle Call: Song of War Illustration Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Available on: Viz This grim fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war. The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still surprised me with dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a sophisticated series with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian Manga panel Artist: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in 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
Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to discover every noteworthy title. Predictably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is stumbling upon a hidden series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention before they gain widespread popularity. Several entries here are still awaiting a mainstream following, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials. 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 Available on: Manga Plus This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change. More polished fantasies are out there, but this is an accessible title published by a major house, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended. 9. Nito's Exorcists Art from the series Creator: Iromi Ichikawa Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Typically, 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. The Nito Exorcists evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is thoughtfully executed, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Art from the series Artist: Yuto Sano Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz If breathtaking art is your priority, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, meticulous, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close of typical hero's journey beats, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where humans and beast-men coexist. The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the manner of death: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's constrained by its slower publication rate. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Bugle Call: Song of War Illustration Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Available on: Viz This grim fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war. The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still surprised me with dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a sophisticated series with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian Manga panel Artist: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in 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