My Top 10 Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it becomes a challenge to track every significant title. Inevitably, the most popular series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of undiscovered treasures waiting to be discovered.

A particular delight for any manga enthusiast is finding a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worth checking out ahead of the curve.

Some of these series have not yet reached a broad readership, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to where they're available. But recommending any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but bear with me. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I confess that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While The Plain Salary Man doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, lies in 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 smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is an accessible title published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, The Plain Salary Man is a great choice.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Typically, 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. The Nito Exorcists evokes the finest elements of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who purges ghosts 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 supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is subtle and refined, and the visual contrast between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with real potential to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, meticulous, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within of typical hero's journey beats, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: a hanging victim can strangle others, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, 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 limited due to its slower publication rate. Since its debut, only five volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This grim fantasy manga tackles the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a brutal fighter company to become a skilled strategist, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but it still delivered bleak developments and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A calculating 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 little feet is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you