The 10 Best Manga I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it becomes a challenge to track every noteworthy new series. Inevitably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of overlooked works just out of sight.

A key pleasure for any manga enthusiast is stumbling upon a hidden series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom.

Several entries here are still awaiting a large audience, partly due to they are without anime adaptations. Some could be less accessible due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but bear with me. 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 uses similar story beats, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by entering fantastical portals that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences through a popular app. Regarding online access, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a brief, enjoyable diversion, this manga is a great choice.

9. The Nito Exorcists

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

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and sudden violence. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the visual contrast between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, meticulous, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close 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 setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the manner of death: someone who hanged themselves manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that adds depth to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

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

This dark fantasy manga examines the ever-present fight narrative from a novel angle for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. 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 cruel mercenary band to become a skilled strategist, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the addition of advanced concepts occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still provided grim twists and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

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

A cold-hearted main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its tiny paws 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