My Top 10 Manga I Enjoyed in 2025 (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, staying on top to discover every worthwhile title. Inevitably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of overlooked works waiting to be discovered.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a hidden series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've read in 2025, along with motivations for they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.

Some of these series are still awaiting a large audience, partly due to they all lack anime adaptations. A few are trickier to read due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero

• Writing Team: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. The medium embraces absurdity, and that's perfectly fine. I confess that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While this series doesn't fully fit the genre, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who unwinds 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 an accessible title published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, the series is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I stumbled upon it accidentally and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than supporting his vengeance. The storyline appears straightforward, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

• Artist: Yuto Sano
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus; Viz

If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is stunning, detailed, and distinctive. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a poor neighborhood where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging manifests as a choking force, one who perished by suicide can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that provides substance to these antagonists. It has potential for massive popularity, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only five volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

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

This bleak fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it depicts large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The world feels a bit standard, and the addition of advanced concepts occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still surprised me with dark turns 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

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

A calculating main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary 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