A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Discovered Recently (Flying Under the Radar).
With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to discover every noteworthy new series. As always, the biggest series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of undiscovered treasures just out of sight.
A particular delight for a dedicated reader is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. Here are some of the finest under-the-radar manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worth checking out ahead of the curve.
Several entries here lack a large audience, especially as they are without anime adaptations. Others may be less accessible due to where they're available. Sharing any of these grants you some impressive fan credentials.
10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero
- Creators: 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 this series isn't strictly an isekai, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.
There might be better isekai series, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus easily available 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, The Plain Salary Man is a great choice.
9. Nito's Exorcists
- Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus
Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but two series changed my mind this year. This series evokes the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its ominous tone, distinctive artwork, 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 accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the character development is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the violent battles is a compelling layer. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — provided it survives.
8. Gokurakugai
- Artist: Yuto Sano
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz
When artistic excellence matters most, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is spectacular, intricate, and unique. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with heroes clashing with demons (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems 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 wields magic reflecting the way the human died: someone who hanged themselves can strangle others, one who ended their own life induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that adds depth to these antagonists. This series might become a major title, but it's constrained by its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.
7. Bugle Call: War's Melody
- Creators: 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. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability allows him to manifest sound as light, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a ruthless soldier group to become a powerful tactician, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.
The setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still delivered dark turns and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a cast of quirky characters, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy.
6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!
- Artist: Sho Yamazaki
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
A cold-hearted main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its little feet is a unique cure for his aches. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you
