The 10 Best Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it becomes a challenge to discover every noteworthy release. As always, the biggest series dominate conversations, however, countless gems of hidden gems just out of sight.

A particular delight for fans of the medium is stumbling upon 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 discovered recently, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve.

Some of these series lack a broad readership, especially as they are without anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but bear with me. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I confess that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While this series doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The appeal, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that emerged suddenly, 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 finish work early for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is an accessible title from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the saturated market, but my opinion was altered this year. This series recalls the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. I stumbled upon it accidentally and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the character development is thoughtfully executed, and the visual contrast between the absurd look of the enemies and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

• Author: 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 breathtaking, meticulous, and distinctive. The story doesn't stray far from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga has powers relating to the way the human died: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who perished by suicide causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that adds depth to these antagonists. This series might become a major title, but it's held back by its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only a limited number of chapters 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 grim fantasy manga tackles the common conflict theme from a novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. 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 brutal fighter company to become a skilled strategist, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still delivered bleak developments and unexpected plot twists. It's a mature shonen with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an enjoyable mix of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism becomes the owner of 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