The 10 Best Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to track every noteworthy release. Predictably, the biggest series dominate conversations, however, countless gems of overlooked works ripe for exploration.

One of the greatest joys for any manga enthusiast is finding a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. I present of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with explanations for why they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve.

Several entries here lack a large audience, notably because they haven't received anime adaptations. Others may be trickier to read due to digital exclusivity. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some notable geek cred.

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

• Writing Team: 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. The medium embraces absurdity, and that's perfectly fine. I'll acknowledge that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and leave the office on time 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, the series is a great choice.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

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

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. The Nito Exorcists evokes the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, unique visuals, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist 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 focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the character development is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is breathtaking, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within from classic shonen conventions, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the way the human died: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that adds depth to these antagonists. Gokurakugai has potential for massive popularity, but it's limited due to its monthly schedule. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This dark fantasy manga approaches the ever-present fight narrative from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements feels forced at times, but The Bugle Call still provided bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a cast of quirky characters, 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
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means 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