The 10 Best Manga I Read This Year (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to discover every worthwhile release. Inevitably, the mainstream series capture the spotlight, but there's a plethora of overlooked works ripe for exploration.

A key pleasure for any manga enthusiast is stumbling upon a largely unknown series in the sea of new chapters and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the finest under-the-radar manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve.

Several entries here lack a large audience, especially as they are without anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. Sharing any of these will earn you some impressive fan credentials.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as 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. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While the title isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who unwinds by entering fantastical portals that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're seeking a short, lighthearted escape, this manga is highly recommended.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Author: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series reminds me of the finest elements of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and sudden violence. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who purges ghosts in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

• Author: Yuto Sano
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus; Viz

For readers who value visual splendor, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and unique. The story doesn't stray far of typical hero's journey beats, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the characters are all quirky and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a working-class district where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the manner of death: someone who hanged themselves can strangle others, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its slower publication rate. Since its debut, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

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

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

This dark fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it depicts large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still delivered grim twists and unexpected plot twists. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an engaging magic framework, and an pleasing blend of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A calculating main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its tiny paws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you