With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it becomes a challenge to keep up with every worthwhile new series. Inevitably, the biggest series capture the spotlight, yet a treasure trove exists of hidden gems ripe for exploration.
A key pleasure for fans of the medium is unearthing a mostly obscure series buried in publication schedules and spreading the word to friends. This list highlights of the top obscure manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.
Some of these series have not yet reached a large audience, especially as they all lack anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to where they're available. However, suggesting any of these will earn you some impressive fan credentials.
10. The Plain Salary Man Turned Out to Be a Hero
- Creators: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus
This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. The medium embraces absurdity, and it's part of the charm. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While this series doesn't fully fit the genre, it uses similar story beats, including an overpowered main character and a game-influenced setting. The appeal, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is a standard overburdened office worker who unwinds by exploring strange labyrinths that emerged suddenly, 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 finish work early for a change.
There might be better isekai series, but this is an accessible title from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a short, lighthearted escape, The Plain Salary Man is an excellent option.
9. The Exorcists of Nito
- Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
- Publisher: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
Typically, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the abundance of similar stories, but my opinion was altered this year. It evokes the finest elements of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its creepy atmosphere, unique visuals, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and was immediately captivated.
Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of discovering his master's killer. He's paired with his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is focused on his safety than fueling his retribution. The premise sounds simple, but the character development is subtle and refined, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the bloody fights is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to go the distance — should it get the chance.
8. Gokurakugai
- Creator: Yuto Sano
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus; Viz
If breathtaking art is your priority, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on Gokurakugai 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 not officially called "exorcists"), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the backdrop is compelling. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, operate the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together.
The villains, called Maga, are formed from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga possesses abilities connected to the circumstances of their end: a hanging victim has the power to choke people, one who perished by suicide causes blood loss, and so on. It's a macabre yet fascinating twist that adds depth to these antagonists. It has potential for massive popularity, but it's constrained by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.
7. Bugle Call: War's Melody
- Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Viz
This dark fantasy manga approaches the common conflict theme from a fresh perspective for shonen. In place of highlighting individual duels, it depicts massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—individuals possessing a unique special power. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which helps him command armies on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a ruthless soldier group to become a powerful tactician, fighting with the hope of one day stepping away.
The world feels a bit standard, and the inclusion of futuristic tech can seem jarring, but it still provided dark turns and shocking story pivots. It's a mature shonen with a group of eccentric individuals, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of military themes and dark fantasy.
6. Taro Miyao Becomes a Cat Parent?!
- Author: Sho Yamazaki
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
A emotionally distant main character who idolizes Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its little feet 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
