🔗 Share this article My Top 10 Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Which Are Mostly Unknown). As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it becomes a challenge to discover every noteworthy title. Predictably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration. A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules 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 worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity. Some of these series are still awaiting a mainstream following, partly due to they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be less accessible due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these provides some serious bragging rights. 10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero Illustration Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change. More polished fantasies are out there, but this is a rare example released by a leading publisher, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're seeking a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is an excellent option. 9. The Nito Exorcists Manga panel Author: 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 two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated. Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the character development is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — should it get the chance. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Creator: Yuto Sano Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is breathtaking, intricate, and distinctive. 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 world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a poor neighborhood where people and animal-human hybrids live together. The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who died from self-harm causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. Bugle Call: War's Melody Illustration Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Viz This dark fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a novel angle for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it showcases epic historical battles. 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 brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom. The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but this series still delivered bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror. 6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao Art from the series Artist: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who reveres 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 a unique cure for his aches. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you
As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it becomes a challenge to discover every noteworthy title. Predictably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration. A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules 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 worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity. Some of these series are still awaiting a mainstream following, partly due to they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be less accessible due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these provides some serious bragging rights. 10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero Illustration Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change. More polished fantasies are out there, but this is a rare example released by a leading publisher, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're seeking a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is an excellent option. 9. The Nito Exorcists Manga panel Author: 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 two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated. Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the character development is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — should it get the chance. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Creator: Yuto Sano Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus; Viz If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is breathtaking, intricate, and distinctive. 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 world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a poor neighborhood where people and animal-human hybrids live together. The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who died from self-harm causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. Bugle Call: War's Melody Illustration Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Viz This dark fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a novel angle for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it showcases epic historical battles. 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 brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom. The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but this series still delivered bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror. 6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao Art from the series Artist: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted main character who reveres 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 a unique cure for his aches. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you