A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to discover every worthwhile new series. As always, the mainstream series dominate conversations, yet a treasure trove exists of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration.

A particular delight for a dedicated reader is unearthing a hidden series in the sea of new chapters and then sharing it to friends. I present of the best lesser-known manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time before they gain widespread popularity.

Several entries here have not yet reached a mainstream following, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

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

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

This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. Manga can be silly, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character 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 exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is one of the few published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences on a digital platform. Regarding online access, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

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

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series reminds me of the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and unexpected brutality. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the treatment of the characters is subtle and refined, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

• Artist: 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 this manga is stunning, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close of typical hero's journey beats, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life 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 constrained by its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This bleak fantasy manga tackles the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech can seem jarring, but this series still surprised me with dark turns and surprising narrative shifts. It's a mature shonen with a collection of odd personalities, an engaging magic framework, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A emotionally distant main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its small claws 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