The 10 Best Japanese Comics I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it becomes a challenge to track every worthwhile new series. Inevitably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, however, countless gems of undiscovered treasures waiting to be discovered.

A particular delight for a dedicated reader is unearthing a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and recommending it to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.

Several entries here lack a broad readership, notably because they are without anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

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

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

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While the title diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is a rare example published by a major house, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a short, lighthearted escape, this manga is a great choice.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and sudden violence. A random click got me hooked and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined 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 treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with great promise to run for a long time — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and distinctive. The story doesn't stray far of typical hero's journey beats, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the characters are all quirky and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a poor neighborhood where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the manner of death: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. Gokurakugai has potential for massive popularity, but it's held back by its slower publication rate. Since its debut, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song

• Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga examines the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The world feels a bit standard, and the addition of advanced concepts can seem jarring, but this series still provided grim twists and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an engaging magic framework, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!

• Artist: 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 becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that a massage from its small claws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you