🔗 Share this article A Curated List of 10 Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar). With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to discover every significant title. Predictably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of undiscovered treasures just out of sight. A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a hidden series in the sea of new chapters and recommending it to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve. A few of these titles have not yet reached a large audience, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to their publishing platforms. Sharing any of these grants you some notable geek cred. 10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero Manga panel Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but let me explain. Comics are often fun, and that's perfectly fine. I admit that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While this series diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change. Superior genre examples exist, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences on a digital platform. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, this manga is highly recommended. 9. Nito's Exorcists Art from the series Creator: Iromi Ichikawa Publisher: 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 a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series recalls the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with the capacity to go the distance — provided it survives. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Creator: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within 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, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side. The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves has the power to choke people, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Since its debut, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song Manga panel Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Viz This bleak fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away. The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements feels forced at times, but it still delivered bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?! Manga panel Creator: Sho Yamazaki Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its small claws 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
With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to discover every significant title. Predictably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of undiscovered treasures just out of sight. A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a hidden series in the sea of new chapters and recommending it to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve. A few of these titles have not yet reached a large audience, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to their publishing platforms. Sharing any of these grants you some notable geek cred. 10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero Manga panel Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but let me explain. Comics are often fun, and that's perfectly fine. I admit that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While this series diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change. Superior genre examples exist, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences on a digital platform. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, this manga is highly recommended. 9. Nito's Exorcists Art from the series Creator: Iromi Ichikawa Publisher: 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 a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series recalls the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once. Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with the capacity to go the distance — provided it survives. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Creator: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within 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, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side. The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves has the power to choke people, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Since its debut, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song Manga panel Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Viz This bleak fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away. The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements feels forced at times, but it still delivered bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?! Manga panel Creator: Sho Yamazaki Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its small claws 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