🔗 Share this article My Top 10 Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (That You've Probably Never Heard Of). Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to track every significant new series. Inevitably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of hidden gems ripe for exploration. A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is finding a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and then sharing it to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention before they gain widespread popularity. A few of these titles lack a broad readership, especially as they haven't received anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these provides some serious bragging rights. 10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero Art from the series Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title isn't strictly an isekai, it uses similar story beats, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The appeal, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and finish work early for a change. There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, this manga is a great choice. 9. The Exorcists of Nito Art from the series Artist: Iromi Ichikawa Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but my opinion was altered this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the strongest aspects of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who kills evil spirits in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is an effective bonus. This is a series with real potential to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Author: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, detailed, and unique. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (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 poor neighborhood 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 manner of death: 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 disturbing but creative twist that adds depth to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which can test a reader's patience. 7. The Bugle Call: Song of War Art from the series Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Viz This dark fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. 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, employing his instrument and background in a cruel mercenary band to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom. The backdrop is a little plain, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but this series still provided grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of military themes and dark fantasy. 6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao Manga panel Artist: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because 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
Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to track every significant new series. Inevitably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of hidden gems ripe for exploration. A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is finding a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and then sharing it to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention before they gain widespread popularity. A few of these titles lack a broad readership, especially as they haven't received anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these provides some serious bragging rights. 10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero Art from the series Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title isn't strictly an isekai, it uses similar story beats, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The appeal, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and finish work early for a change. There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, this manga is a great choice. 9. The Exorcists of Nito Art from the series Artist: Iromi Ichikawa Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but my opinion was altered this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the strongest aspects of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who kills evil spirits in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is an effective bonus. This is a series with real potential to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Author: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, detailed, and unique. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (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 poor neighborhood 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 manner of death: 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 disturbing but creative twist that adds depth to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which can test a reader's patience. 7. The Bugle Call: Song of War Art from the series Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Viz This dark fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. 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, employing his instrument and background in a cruel mercenary band to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom. The backdrop is a little plain, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but this series still provided grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of military themes and dark fantasy. 6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao Manga panel Artist: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because 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