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

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to track every significant title. Inevitably, the biggest series get all the attention, however, countless gems of hidden gems just out of sight.

A key pleasure for fans of the medium is finding a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and recommending it to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with explanations for why they're worth checking out before they gain widespread popularity.

Several entries here have not yet reached a broad readership, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. Some could be 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 hear me out. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I'll acknowledge that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While The Plain Salary Man doesn't fully fit the genre, it follows many of the same tropes, including an unbeatable hero and a game-influenced setting. The unique hook, however, is found in the protagonist. Keita Sato is an archetypal exhausted salaryman who relieves pressure by sneaking into mysterious dungeons that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He has no interest in treasures, power, or ranking; he only wants to hide his pastime, protect his family, and leave the office on time for a change.

More polished fantasies are out there, but this is one of the few from a top company, and thus easily available to international audiences via a free service. Regarding online access, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're looking for a brief, enjoyable diversion, the series is a great choice.

9. Nito's Exorcists

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

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title is enough to deter me due to the saturated market, but a pair of titles shifted my perspective this year. The Nito Exorcists evokes the best parts of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, unique visuals, and unexpected brutality. I stumbled upon it accidentally and became engrossed at once.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who eliminates cursed beings in the hope of finding the one that murdered his mentor. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The plot may seem basic, but the portrayal of the cast is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the bloody fights is an effective bonus. This is a series with the capacity to run for a long time — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then this is it. Yuto Sano's work on the series is spectacular, intricate, and one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with individuals with abilities combating monsters (though they're not officially called "exorcists"), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the world is fascinating. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, handling issues in a working-class district 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 circumstances of their end: someone who hanged themselves has the power to choke people, one who died from self-harm induces hemorrhaging, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that gives weight to these antagonists. Gokurakugai could be the next big hit, but it's constrained by its infrequent release pace. From the beginning, only five volumes have been released, which makes it hard to stay invested.

7. Bugle Call: War's Melody

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

This dark fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a novel angle for shonen. Rather than focusing on individual duels, it presents massive army conflicts. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—people with distinct abilities. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, leveraging his musical skill and past in a cruel mercenary band to become a skilled strategist, fighting to eventually earn his freedom.

The setting is somewhat generic, and the addition of advanced concepts feels forced at times, but this series still provided grim twists and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga 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 follows the philosophy of Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and advocates for ruthless pragmatism becomes the owner of a cute cat named Nicolo—supposedly since a massage from its tiny paws is the only thing that relieves his stiff shoulders. {If that premise isn't enough|Should that not convince you|If the setup doesn't grab you