My Top 10 Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to keep up with every significant title. As always, the biggest series capture the spotlight, however, countless gems of overlooked works ripe for exploration.

A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is unearthing a largely unknown series in the sea of new chapters and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve.

A few of these titles are still awaiting a mainstream following, notably because they are without anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to digital exclusivity. Sharing any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

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

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but let me explain. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I admit that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While the title diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The appeal, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who vents his stress by entering fantastical portals that emerged suddenly, 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 clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're seeking a short, lighthearted escape, the series is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Author: 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 abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. This series recalls the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the visual contrast between the silly appearance of the spirits and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is spectacular, meticulous, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the characters are all quirky and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: a hanging victim has the power to choke people, one who ended their own life can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that adds depth to these antagonists. This series could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its slower publication rate. Since its debut, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This bleak fantasy manga tackles the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements occasionally doesn't fit, but it still surprised me with dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A cold-hearted main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its small claws is the only thing that relieves his stiff shoulders. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you