The 10 Best Comics I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every worthwhile title. Inevitably, the most popular series capture the spotlight, however, countless gems of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is finding a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and then sharing it to friends. I present of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.

Some of these series have not yet reached a large audience, partly due to they are without anime adaptations. Some could be less accessible due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some notable geek cred.

10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be 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. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I confess that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While this series diverges from the template, it embraces familiar conventions, including an incredibly strong protagonist and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The appeal, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who relieves pressure by entering fantastical portals that appeared in the world, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He doesn't care about treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to keep his hobby secret, protect his family, and finish work early for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences on a digital platform. Regarding online access, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, The Plain Salary Man is highly recommended.

9. The Nito Exorcists

• Creator: Iromi Ichikawa
• Released by: Shueisha
• Find it on: Manga Plus

Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. The Nito Exorcists reminds me of the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and shocking ferocity. I stumbled upon it accidentally and was immediately captivated.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The plot may seem basic, but the character development is as delicate as the art, and the artistic dichotomy between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with great promise to go the distance — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

When artistic excellence matters most, then search no more. Yuto Sano's work on this manga is spectacular, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The story doesn't stray far to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not labeled as exorcists), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate 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 possesses abilities connected to the manner of death: a hanging victim manifests as a choking force, one who died from self-harm can make people bleed out, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that gives weight to these antagonists. It might become a major title, but it's constrained by its slower publication rate. From the beginning, only a handful of volumes have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Bugle Call: Song of War

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

This bleak fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it showcases large-scale medieval warfare. 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 cruel mercenary band to become a skilled strategist, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but it still surprised me with dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a group of eccentric individuals, an interesting power system, and an enjoyable mix of strategy and horror.

6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian

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

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