The 10 Best Japanese Comics I Enjoyed in 2025 (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to discover every worthwhile new series. As always, the most popular series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of overlooked works waiting to be discovered.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and recommending it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve.

Several entries here are still awaiting a broad readership, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. Some could be harder to access due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

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

This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I confess that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While this series diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is an accessible title released by a leading publisher, and thus readily accessible to international audiences on a digital platform. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, the series is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series evokes the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, unique visuals, and sudden violence. I stumbled upon it accidentally and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than supporting his vengeance. The storyline appears straightforward, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the visual contrast between the silly appearance of the spirits and the bloody fights is a compelling layer. This is a series with real potential to become a hit — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The story doesn't stray far of typical hero's journey beats, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the characters are all quirky and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: a hanging victim can strangle others, one who ended their own life can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai might become a major title, but it's limited due to its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the inclusion of futuristic tech can seem jarring, but this series still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an enjoyable mix of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

• Author: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its little feet 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