My Top 10 Comics I Read This Year (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, staying on top to track every worthwhile new series. As always, the mainstream series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems ripe for exploration.

A key pleasure for any manga enthusiast is unearthing a mostly obscure series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. I present of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with explanations for why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom.

Some of these series have not yet reached a large audience, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these will earn 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 let me explain. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I confess that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While The Plain Salary Man doesn't fully fit the genre, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, stems from the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by entering fantastical portals that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, the series is highly recommended.

9. Nito's Exorcists

• 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 two series changed my mind this year. It reminds me of the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, distinctive artwork, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the character development is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the bloody fights is a compelling layer. This is a series with great promise to go the distance — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, meticulous, and unique. The story doesn't stray far from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the characters are all quirky and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a low-income area where people and animal-human hybrids live together.

The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who ended their own life can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that adds depth to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a handful of volumes have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

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

This dark fantasy manga examines the ever-present fight narrative from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. 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 ruthless soldier group to become a skilled strategist, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but The Bugle Call still provided dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a grown-up battle manga with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an interesting combination of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A emotionally distant main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since 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