A Curated List of 10 Japanese Comics I Discovered Recently (Flying Under the Radar).
With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, staying on top to track every worthwhile title. As always, the mainstream series dominate conversations, however, countless gems of undiscovered treasures ripe for exploration.
One of the greatest joys for fans of the medium is finding a hidden series amidst the weekly releases and spreading the word to friends. Here are some of the best lesser-known manga I've discovered recently, along with reasons why they're worth checking out prior to a potential boom.
Some of these series have not yet reached a mainstream following, especially as they are without anime adaptations. Some could be trickier to read due to where they're available. But recommending any of these will earn you some notable geek cred.
10. The Ordinary Office Worker Who Was a Hero
- Authors: Ghost Mikawa, Yuki Imano, Akira Yuki, Raika Mizuiro
- Released by: Shueisha
- Available on: Manga Plus
This may seem like a strange choice, but let me explain. Manga can be silly, and it's part of the charm. I admit that isekai is my guilty pleasure. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, including an overpowered main character and a video-game-inspired fantasy framework. The appeal, however, lies in the protagonist. Keita Sato is your typical overworked Japanese corporate man who unwinds by entering fantastical portals that materialized globally, armed only with a baseball bat, to pummel creatures. He's indifferent to 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 an accessible title released by a leading publisher, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences via a free service. When it comes to digital availability, this publisher sets the standard, and if you're seeking a short, lighthearted escape, the series is a great choice.
9. Nito's Exorcists
- Author: 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 genre's overpopularity, but my opinion was altered this year. It recalls the finest elements of a popular supernatural battle manga, with its eerie vibe, distinctive artwork, and unexpected brutality. I started reading it by chance and became engrossed at once.
Gotsuji is a powerful exorcist 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 aiding his quest for revenge. The premise sounds simple, but the portrayal of the cast is thoughtfully executed, and the artistic dichotomy between the silly appearance of the spirits and the violent battles is a nice extra touch. This is a series with real potential to become a hit — provided it survives.
8. Gokurakugai
- Artist: Yuto Sano
- Publisher: 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 one-of-a-kind. The plot remains within to traditional battle manga tropes, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the cast is wonderfully eccentric and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, solving problems in a working-class district where people and animal-human hybrids live together.
The villains, called Maga, are created from human or animal corpses. When human-based, the Maga wields magic reflecting the way the human died: 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 gruesome but interesting twist that gives weight to these antagonists. This series could be the next big hit, but it's held back by its monthly schedule. Starting in 2022, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which can test a reader's patience.
7. Bugle Call: War's Melody
- Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Viz
This dark fantasy manga approaches the ubiquitous battle trope from a new viewpoint for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it presents epic historical battles. The protagonist, Luca, is one of the Branched—those granted singular talents. Luca's ability lets him transform noise into illumination, which allows him to direct soldiers on the battlefield, employing his instrument and background in a cruel mercenary band to become a powerful tactician, fighting dreaming of a life beyond war.
The world feels a bit standard, and the insertion of sci-fi elements can seem jarring, but it still provided dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga with a collection of odd personalities, an engaging magic framework, and an enjoyable mix of warfare and grim fantasy.
6. Taro Miyao: Unexpected Feline Guardian
- Creator: Sho Yamazaki
- Released by: Shueisha
- Find it on: Manga Plus
A cold-hearted 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—reportedly for the reason that 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
