The 10 Best Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (Which Are Mostly Unknown).
Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, staying on top to keep up with every worthwhile new series. Inevitably, the most popular series dominate conversations, but there's a plethora of overlooked works just out of sight.
One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is finding a mostly obscure series in the sea of new chapters and then sharing it to friends. I present of the best lesser-known manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're deserving of your time before they gain widespread popularity.
A few of these titles lack a broad readership, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these provides some impressive fan credentials.
10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as 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 hear me out. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The appeal, however, lies 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 defeat foes. 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.
Superior genre examples exist, but this is an accessible title published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences through a popular app. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a short, lighthearted escape, this manga is a great choice.
9. The Nito Exorcists
- Author: Iromi Ichikawa
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. It evokes the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. A random click got me hooked and was immediately captivated.
Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who kills evil spirits in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied 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 portrayal of the cast is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the comedic design of foes and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — should it get the chance.
8. Gokurakugai
- Creator: Yuto Sano
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz
When artistic excellence matters most, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where two species live side-by-side.
The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who ended their own life induces hemorrhaging, 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 held back by its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.
7. The Bugle Call: Song of War
- Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Find it on: Viz
This bleak fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.
The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but it still surprised me with dark turns and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an pleasing blend of military themes and dark fantasy.
6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao
- Artist: Sho Yamazaki
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus
A calculating main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts 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
