🔗 Share this article The 10 Best Comics I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of). Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every noteworthy new series. Inevitably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of hidden gems just out of sight. A key pleasure for fans of the medium is unearthing a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with reasons why they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity. Several entries here are still awaiting a broad readership, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. Some could be harder to access due to where they're available. Sharing any of these provides some impressive fan credentials. 10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero Art from the series Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I confess that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While this series isn't strictly an isekai, it uses similar story beats, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change. There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're in need of a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is a great choice. 9. Nito's Exorcists Art from the series Artist: Iromi Ichikawa Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists reminds me of the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly. Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than supporting his vengeance. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the bloody fights is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Author: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz For readers who value visual splendor, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within of typical hero's journey beats, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together. The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves can strangle others, one who died from self-harm causes blood loss, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Bugle Call: Song of War Art from the series Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Viz This grim fantasy manga tackles the ubiquitous battle trope from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a formidable commander, fighting to eventually earn his freedom. The world feels a bit standard, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but The Bugle Call still delivered bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an interesting power system, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian Art from the series Creator: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted 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 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
Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every noteworthy new series. Inevitably, the mainstream series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of hidden gems just out of sight. A key pleasure for fans of the medium is unearthing a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with reasons why they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity. Several entries here are still awaiting a broad readership, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. Some could be harder to access due to where they're available. Sharing any of these provides some impressive fan credentials. 10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero Art from the series Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus This may seem like a strange choice, but bear with me. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I confess that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While this series isn't strictly an isekai, it uses similar story beats, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change. There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're in need of a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is a great choice. 9. Nito's Exorcists Art from the series Artist: Iromi Ichikawa Released by: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but two series changed my mind this year. The Nito Exorcists reminds me of the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly. Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than supporting his vengeance. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the bloody fights is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue. 8. Gokurakugai Illustration Author: Yuto Sano Publisher: Shueisha Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz For readers who value visual splendor, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, detailed, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within of typical hero's journey beats, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together. The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves can strangle others, one who died from self-harm causes blood loss, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested. 7. The Bugle Call: Song of War Art from the series Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori Publisher: Shueisha Available on: Viz This grim fantasy manga tackles the ubiquitous battle trope from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a cruel mercenary band to become a formidable commander, fighting to eventually earn his freedom. The world feels a bit standard, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but The Bugle Call still delivered bleak developments and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an interesting power system, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy. 6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian Art from the series Creator: Sho Yamazaki Released by: Shueisha Available on: Manga Plus A cold-hearted 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 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