The 10 Best Japanese Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar).
As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it becomes a challenge to track every noteworthy release. As always, the most popular series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of overlooked works ripe for exploration.
One of the greatest joys for any manga enthusiast is finding a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and recommending it to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with reasons why they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve.
A few of these titles lack a large audience, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some serious bragging rights.
10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero
- Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man isn't strictly an isekai, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The appeal, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who relieves pressure by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.
Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few published by a major house, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, the series is highly recommended.
9. The Exorcists of Nito
- Author: Iromi Ichikawa
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus
Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the saturated market, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. It reminds me of the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, unique visuals, and sudden violence. A random click got me hooked and got hooked instantly.
Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast 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 real potential to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.
8. Gokurakugai
- Creator: Yuto Sano
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus; Viz
If breathtaking art is your priority, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the characters are all quirky and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side.
The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the manner of death: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who ended their own life causes blood loss, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai has potential for massive popularity, but it's limited due to its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which can test a reader's patience.
7. The Bugle Call: Song of War
- Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Viz
This grim fantasy manga approaches the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. 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, leveraging his musical skill and past in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.
The world feels a bit standard, and the addition of advanced concepts occasionally doesn't fit, but it still surprised me with grim twists and shocking story pivots. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an interesting power system, and an enjoyable mix of warfare and grim fantasy.
6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao
- Artist: Sho Yamazaki
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus
A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary becomes the owner of 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
