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

As the manga industry continues its relentless expansion, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every significant title. Inevitably, the biggest series get all the attention, but there's a plethora of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is stumbling upon a mostly obscure series in the sea of new chapters and then sharing it to friends. I present of the top obscure manga I've discovered recently, along with motivations for they're deserving of your time ahead of the curve.

Some of these series are still awaiting a mainstream following, especially as they are without anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to their publishing platforms. But recommending any of these grants you some notable geek cred.

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

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I confess that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it uses similar story beats, including an overpowered main character and a RPG-like world structure. The unique hook, 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 pummel creatures. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to maintain his double life, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is one of the few released by a leading publisher, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. Regarding online access, this publisher remains a leader, and if you're in need of a few minutes of silly fun, the series is an excellent option.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title turns me away due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. It evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, stylized art, and shocking ferocity. I stumbled upon it accidentally and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who eliminates cursed beings 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 supporting his vengeance. The plot may seem basic, but the character development is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the absurd look of the enemies and the gory combat is a compelling layer. This is a series with great promise to go the distance — provided it survives.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on the series is breathtaking, intricate, and unique. The narrative hews close from classic shonen conventions, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the characters are all quirky and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a low-income area where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves 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 gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's held back by its infrequent release pace. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This grim fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a novel angle for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which lets him guide troops on the battlefield, using his trumpet and upbringing in a ruthless soldier group to become a formidable commander, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but this series still delivered dark turns and surprising narrative shifts. It's a mature shonen 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

• Creator: 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—supposedly since a massage from its small claws 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