The 10 Best Japanese Comics I Discovered Recently (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to discover every noteworthy release. Inevitably, the biggest series dominate conversations, but there's a plethora of hidden gems just out of sight.

A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is stumbling upon a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom.

A few of these titles are still awaiting a large audience, partly due to they are without anime adaptations. Others may be harder to access due to digital exclusivity. Sharing any of these provides some serious bragging rights.

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

• Writing Team: 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. The medium embraces absurdity, and that's perfectly fine. I confess that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who unwinds by entering fantastical portals that emerged suddenly, 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 finish work early for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is a rare example published by a major house, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, the series is highly recommended.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the saturated market, but my opinion was altered this year. This series evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, unique visuals, and unexpected brutality. A random click got me hooked and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is concerned with his well-being than fueling his retribution. The plot may seem basic, but the portrayal of the cast is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the gory combat is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to go the distance — should it get the chance.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is breathtaking, meticulous, and distinctive. The story doesn't stray far to traditional battle manga tropes, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, manage the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a low-income area where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. In the former case, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who ended their own life can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It could be the next big hit, but it's limited due to its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only a handful of volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

• Writing Team: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Viz

This grim fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a fresh perspective for shonen. Rather than focusing on 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 enables him to convert audio into visuals, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a powerful tactician, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements feels forced at times, but this series still provided dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a sophisticated series with a group of eccentric individuals, an compelling ability ruleset, and an interesting combination of military themes and dark fantasy.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

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

A emotionally distant main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its small claws is his sole relief from tension. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you