A Curated List of 10 Comics I Read This Year (Flying Under the Radar).

With the world of manga growing more vast by the day, it's increasingly difficult to track every worthwhile title. As always, the biggest series dominate conversations, but there's a plethora of overlooked works waiting to be discovered.

A key pleasure for a dedicated reader is stumbling upon a largely unknown series buried in publication schedules and recommending it to friends. This list highlights of the best lesser-known manga I've enjoyed this past year, along with motivations for they're worthy of attention ahead of the curve.

Several entries here lack a mainstream following, notably because they all lack anime adaptations. A few are harder to access due to digital exclusivity. But recommending any of these provides 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
• Find it on: Manga Plus

I know, it's an unusual starting point, but hear me out. Manga can be silly, and that's perfectly fine. I admit that fantasy escapism is my comfort read. While The Plain Salary Man diverges from the template, it follows many of the same tropes, 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 relieves pressure by entering fantastical portals that emerged suddenly, armed only with a baseball bat, to smash monsters. He's indifferent to 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 released by a leading publisher, and thus conveniently readable to international audiences through a popular app. For easy reading, this publisher is still dominant, and if you're in need of a short, lighthearted escape, the series is highly recommended.

9. The Exorcists of Nito

• Artist: Iromi Ichikawa
• Publisher: Shueisha
• Available on: Manga Plus

Ordinarily, the word "exorcist" in a manga title makes me hesitant due to the genre's overpopularity, but two series changed my mind this year. It evokes the best parts of Jujutsu Kaisen, with its ominous tone, distinctive artwork, and sudden violence. A random click got me hooked and got hooked instantly.

Gotsuji is a formidable practitioner who kills evil spirits in the hope of avenging his teacher's death. He's accompanied by his mentor's sister, Uruka, who is more interested in protecting Gotsuji than fueling his retribution. The storyline appears straightforward, but the treatment of the characters is thoughtfully executed, and the visual contrast between the comedic design of foes and the bloody fights is a nice extra touch. This is a series with the capacity to become a hit — if it's allowed to continue.

8. Gokurakugai

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

For readers who value visual splendor, then look no further. Yuto Sano's work on the series is breathtaking, meticulous, and unique. The narrative hews close to traditional battle manga tropes, with superpowered people fighting evil spirits (though they're avoiding that specific term), but the protagonists are distinctly odd and the setting is intriguing. The protagonists, Alma and Tao Saotome, run the Gokurakugai Troubleshooter agency, resolving disputes in a working-class district where humans and beast-men coexist.

The villains, called Maga, are born from human or animal corpses. For those from people, the Maga has powers relating to the circumstances of their end: a suicide by hanging can strangle others, one who died from self-harm causes blood loss, and so on. It's a gruesome but interesting twist that provides substance to these antagonists. It has potential for massive popularity, but it's constrained by its infrequent release pace. Since its debut, only a limited number of chapters have been released, which challenges ongoing engagement.

7. The Call of War: A Bugle's Song

• Creators: Mozuku Sora, Higoro Toumori
• Released by: Shueisha
• Available on: Viz

This dark fantasy manga examines the common conflict theme from a novel angle for shonen. Instead of centering on individual duels, it depicts 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 helps him command armies 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 setting is somewhat generic, and the inclusion of futuristic tech occasionally doesn't fit, but this series still delivered dark turns and unexpected plot twists. It's a grown-up battle manga with a cast of quirky characters, an interesting power system, and an pleasing blend of warfare and grim fantasy.

6. The Cat Parent Adventures of Taro Miyao

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

A calculating main character who reveres Renaissance thinker Niccolò Machiavelli and believes in using any means necessary takes in a cute cat named Nicolo—allegedly because a massage from its tiny paws 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