My Top 10 Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, staying on top to track every worthwhile release. Predictably, the mainstream series dominate conversations, yet a treasure trove exists of overlooked works just out of sight.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is unearthing a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and recommending it to friends. Here are some of the top obscure manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with explanations for why they're deserving of your time before they gain widespread popularity.

A few of these titles lack a broad readership, especially as they are without anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to where they're available. Sharing any of these grants you some notable geek cred.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but bear with me. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I admit that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While this series isn't strictly an isekai, it uses similar story beats, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is a rare example released by a leading publisher, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, unique visuals, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's joined 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 thoughtfully executed, and the visual contrast between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is spectacular, meticulous, and unique. The story doesn't stray far of typical hero's journey beats, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a working-class district 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 wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. This series might become a major title, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the insertion of sci-fi elements occasionally doesn't fit, but it still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its tiny paws 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