A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Read This Year (That You've Probably Never Heard Of).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it becomes a challenge to track every noteworthy new series. Predictably, the biggest series dominate conversations, however, countless gems of overlooked works just out of sight.

One of the greatest joys for any manga enthusiast is finding a hidden series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with motivations for they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.

Some of these series lack a mainstream following, especially as they are without anime adaptations. A few are less accessible due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these provides some notable geek cred.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

This may seem like a strange choice, but hear me out. The medium embraces absurdity, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll acknowledge that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man doesn't fully fit the genre, it embraces familiar conventions, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The charm, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who relieves pressure by exploring strange labyrinths that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is one of the few published by a major house, and thus easily available 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, The Plain Salary Man is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the genre's overpopularity, but two series changed my mind this year. This series evokes the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its creepy atmosphere, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. A random click got me hooked and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who purges ghosts in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's joined by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than fueling his retribution. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the violent battles is a compelling layer. This is a series with great promise to go the distance — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is stunning, intricate, 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 cast is wonderfully eccentric and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where two species live side-by-side.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga wields magic reflecting the manner of death: someone who hanged themselves manifests as a choking force, one who perished by suicide causes blood loss, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. It has potential for massive popularity, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

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

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

This grim fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a skilled strategist, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the inclusion of futuristic tech can seem jarring, but this series still provided bleak developments and unexpected plot twists. It's a sophisticated series with a cast of quirky characters, an engaging magic framework, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

• Artist: Sho Yamazaki
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

A cold-hearted main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means 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