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

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to keep up with every noteworthy release. Predictably, the mainstream series dominate conversations, but there's a plethora of undiscovered treasures just out of sight.

A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is finding a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and then sharing it to friends. I present of the finest under-the-radar manga I've discovered recently, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out ahead of the curve.

A few of these titles are still awaiting a broad readership, partly due to they all lack anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to their publishing platforms. But recommending any of these grants you some notable geek cred.

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

• Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but bear with me. Comics are often fun, and it's part of the charm. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The appeal, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who vents his stress by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus readily accessible to international audiences via a free service. For easy reading, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, this manga is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the abundance of similar stories, but my opinion was altered this year. The Nito Exorcists recalls the finest elements of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than supporting his vengeance. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the comedic design of foes and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with great promise to become a hit — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is stunning, detailed, and distinctive. The story doesn't stray far to traditional battle manga tropes, with heroes clashing with demons (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, solving problems in a working-class district where two species live side-by-side.

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: someone who hanged themselves manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, 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
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This dark fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the addition of advanced concepts can seem jarring, but The Bugle Call still provided grim twists and unexpected plot twists. It's a sophisticated series with a cast of quirky characters, an interesting power system, and an enjoyable mix of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because 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