The 10 Best Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (Which Are Mostly Unknown).
With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to track every worthwhile release. As always, the most popular series get all the attention, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems ripe for exploration.
One of the greatest joys for a dedicated reader is stumbling upon a mostly obscure series amidst the weekly releases and recommending it to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worth checking out ahead of the curve.
Some of these series have not yet reached a large audience, notably because they are without anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to where they're available. Sharing any of these grants you some serious bragging rights.
10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero
- Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
This may seem like a strange choice, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and there's nothing wrong with that. I confess that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While the title doesn't fully fit the genre, it embraces familiar conventions, including an overpowered main character and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The unique hook, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who unwinds by sneaking into mysterious dungeons 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 maintain his double life, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.
Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. Regarding online access, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.
9. The Exorcists of Nito
- Author: 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 a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. This series evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly.
Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who purges ghosts in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than aiding his quest for revenge. The storyline appears straightforward, but the character development is as delicate as the art, and the stylistic juxtaposition between the silly appearance of the spirits and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue.
8. Gokurakugai
- Creator: Yuto Sano
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus; Viz
For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is breathtaking, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (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, solving problems in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side.
The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves can strangle others, one who ended their own life causes blood loss, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. This series has potential for massive popularity, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.
7. Bugle Call: War's Melody
- Authors: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Viz
This dark fantasy manga tackles the ever-present fight narrative from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. 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 powerful tactician, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.
The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still surprised me with grim twists and surprising narrative shifts. It's a sophisticated series with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy.
6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao
- Artist: Sho Yamazaki
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary becomes the owner of 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
