My Top 10 Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, staying on top to discover every worthwhile title. Inevitably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of overlooked works ripe for exploration.

A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is finding a hidden series in the sea of new chapters and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've read in 2025, along with explanations for why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom.

Several entries here have not yet reached a large audience, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these grants you some serious bragging rights.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but let me explain. Comics are often fun, and that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who vents his stress by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He doesn't care about 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 a rare example from a top company, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences on a digital platform. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

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

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. It recalls the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and unexpected brutality. I stumbled upon it accidentally and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who purges ghosts in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The plot may seem basic, but the portrayal of the cast is subtle and refined, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to go the distance — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The story doesn't stray far of typical hero's journey beats, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the way the human died: a suicide by hanging has the power to choke people, 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 could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its slower publication rate. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This bleak fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it presents 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 helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a cruel mercenary band to become a powerful tactician, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements occasionally doesn't fit, but it still provided bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a grown-up battle manga with a collection of odd personalities, an interesting power system, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its tiny paws 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