The 10 Best Manga I Read This Year (Which Are Mostly Unknown).

Given the ever-expanding scope of the manga market, it's increasingly difficult to keep up with every worthwhile new series. Inevitably, the most popular series get all the attention, however, countless gems of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration.

One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is unearthing a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and then sharing it to friends. This list highlights of the finest under-the-radar manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're deserving of your time prior to a potential boom.

Some of these series have not yet reached a broad readership, partly due to they all lack anime adaptations. Others may be less accessible due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these grants you some serious bragging rights.

10. An Unassuming Salaryman Revealed as a Hero

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

Admittedly, this is a weird pick, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I admit that transported-to-another-world stories relax me. While the title doesn't fully fit the genre, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The charm, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who relieves pressure by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to defeat foes. He's indifferent to treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and clock out punctually for a change.

Superior genre examples exist, but this is a rare example from a top company, and thus readily accessible to international audiences on a digital platform. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a few minutes of silly fun, the series is a great choice.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Usually, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the saturated market, but two series changed my mind this year. This series reminds me of the strongest aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and sudden violence. I started reading it by chance and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a skilled spirit hunter who kills evil spirits in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than supporting his vengeance. The storyline appears straightforward, 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 a compelling layer. This is a series with real potential to go the distance — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

If breathtaking art is your priority, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai is spectacular, meticulous, and distinctive. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (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 poor neighborhood where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: a hanging victim can strangle others, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a disturbing but creative twist that provides substance to these antagonists. This series might become a major title, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Since its debut, only five volumes have been released, which can test a reader's patience.

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 novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability enables him to convert audio into visuals, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a brutal fighter company to become a formidable commander, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.

The backdrop is a little plain, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but it still surprised me with bleak developments and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a collection of odd personalities, an compelling ability ruleset, and an pleasing blend of strategy and horror.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A calculating main character who follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and subscribes to ends-justify-the-means adopts a cute cat named Nicolo—reportedly for the reason that 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