My Top 10 Manga I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it becomes a challenge to keep up with every significant title. As always, the most popular series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems just out of sight.

A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with motivations for they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.

Some of these series lack a mainstream following, especially as they haven't received anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to their publishing platforms. However, suggesting any of these grants you some serious bragging rights.

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

• Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but let me explain. Comics are often fun, and that's perfectly fine. I confess that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man isn't strictly an isekai, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, 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 leave the office on time for a change.

There might be better isekai series, but this is an accessible title published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, the series is an excellent option.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists evokes the strongest aspects of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. A random click got me hooked and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who purges ghosts in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than aiding his quest for revenge. The storyline appears straightforward, but the treatment of the characters is subtle and refined, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the comedic design of foes and the violent battles is a compelling layer. This is a series with real potential to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

• Artist: Yuto Sano
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus; Viz

When artistic excellence matters most, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is stunning, detailed, and distinctive. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the manner of death: someone who hanged themselves can strangle others, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that adds depth to these antagonists. This series could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only a handful of volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

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

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

This dark fantasy manga examines the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but it still surprised me with grim twists and surprising narrative shifts. It's a mature shonen with a group of eccentric individuals, an engaging magic framework, and an interesting combination of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its little feet is the only thing that relieves his stiff shoulders. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you