A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Discovered Recently (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it becomes a challenge to track every worthwhile release. Predictably, the mainstream series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of overlooked works just out of sight.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is finding a hidden series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. I present of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.

A few of these titles are still awaiting a broad readership, partly due to they haven't received anime adaptations. Others may be less accessible due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some notable geek cred.

10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero

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

This may seem like a strange choice, but hear me out. Comics are often fun, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While this series diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who vents his stress by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. 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 easily available to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Author: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but two series changed my mind this year. It recalls the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. I stumbled upon it accidentally and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who purges ghosts 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 stylistic juxtaposition between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with great promise to go the distance — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

• Author: Yuto Sano
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz

For readers who value visual splendor, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on the series is stunning, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The story doesn't stray far from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the characters are all quirky and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the manner of death: a suicide by hanging has the power to choke people, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

• Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This bleak fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a novel angle for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it showcases massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a skilled strategist, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech feels forced at times, but it still provided bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an enjoyable mix of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A emotionally distant main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its tiny paws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you