Your top 10 unknown/not-well known manga

Here's my top 10:
The Mitarai's House is on Fire
Tomorrow I Will Date With Yesterday's You
Qualia The Purple
A Lollypop or A Bullet
Jin
Parasite in Love
Usemono Yado
Crazy Bone Dreams
Sekai no Hate
The Strange House

I'm currently reading Ship of Theseus on your list, it's been decent so far.

@kizumi91 It makes me happy to see someone enjoy Parasites amoureux and know Burn the house down. I've been eyeing the latter for a while. What do you like about this manga? Should I give it a go? And what do you think of Theseus no Fune (in a more in-depth way, of course)?

@Kumoiro_Shizuki
Well, my top favourite genres are drama, psychological, mystery, suspense and this Manga provided exactly what I needed. The premise is a basic revenge story but the more you explore the mystery and character drama, the more absorbing and engaging it becomes. It presents a barely sufficient level of complexity that keeps you on the edge of your seat but at the same time doesn't make you feel convoluted. There're lots of twists and turns and the climax does a great job of untying all riddles, everything is resolved quite satisfactorily. Moreover, the cast is adult and realistic, they didn't act over-the-top like the majority of Anime and Manga. They aren't perfect and have their problems, face and overcome them on their own. I think most of us will find ourselves reflected in them in some aspects. Since you like "Parasites in love", it's likely you'd like this Manga or at least enjoy reading it.
I've also written a more detailed analysis of the Manga here, feel free to give it a look: https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=464379

About "Ship of Theseus", dunno which version you read but I'm currently in chapter 36 and still waiting for the new translation chapters. So far, it's more like just the start of the story. The protags went to the past, met his parents and acquaintances. His actions affect history due to the butterfly effect and this leads to some significant changes in his current timeline. Even though the idea is nothing new, I think the core theme that's also the title is pretty interesting. The original philosophical question was "If each individual piece of the ship was replaced, one after the other, was it still the same ship?", and here this Manga plays a similar one "If each individual part of history was replaced, one after the other, was it still the same reality?" Even if the MC somehow successfully proves the innocence of his father, what kind of situation will he have to face in the future, or to be precise in the present?

I dont like listing things...but I enjoy the list the OP made tbh...

Good taste!
I also like Magmell, Blissful land and Sousei no Taiga.
Not extremely hung up on Bestiarius tho no regrets spending time to read it (not even completely done yet)

-Sanchoume Zouhyou Monogatari
-Akuninzura shita B-kyuu Boukensha: Shujinkou to Sono Osananajimi-tachi no Papa ni Naru
-Capeta
-Doku Doku Mori Mori
-Henkyou no Roukishi Bard Loen
-Kizudarake no Jinsei
-Megumi no Daigo
-Nick to Lever
-Zannen Onna Kanbu Black General-san
-Westwood Vibrato

And more, too many to count, that's why I made a hidden gems club 😄

I dont make Top Ten Lists lol...who would??

Bestiarius and Fool Night are really good!
Here are some of my less known favorites, not in any order:
1. Dakkou Suru made Ochimasen
2. Dragon and Chameleon
3. Aikagi-kun to Shiawase Gohan
4. Bibliomania
5. Eien no With
6. Kagome Kagome
7. Batuque
8. Meshinuma.
9. Phantom Tales of the Night
10. Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand

Be free to ask me for more manga recommendations!

@Rissio I'm really glad to see that Fool Night and Bestiarius are appreciated, as they're so good, whether in their writing, their drawings or their characters. As for your top, it's really pretty. Bibliomania was a real slap in the face when I read it. As for Dragon and Chameleon and Aikagi-kun to Shiawase Gohan, I'm very interested. What are their qualities? Is Aikagi-Kun as good as Insomniacs and Maison Ikkoku? Do you have any works with similar moods to Maison Ikkoku and Insomniacs?

@Kumoiro_Shizuki
Dragon and Chameleon has really good art. It's about creating manga, similar to Bakuman with little supernatural twist at the beginning. Characters are fun too.
For Aikagi-Kun it's cute romance and food. Basically two people living together and enjoying meals together. Sadly it's not fully translated.
I haven't read Maison Ikkoku, but one manga similar to Insomniacs I can tink of is Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity. High school romance, loveable cast, more realistic. Skip & Lofer is good manga too.
I'm glad you liked Bibliomania!

1. Satou-kun no Juunan Seikatsu

2. Rosen Garten Saga

3. Ojousama wa Love Comedy no Shujinkou ni Naritai!

4. Ibitsu

5. Hikaru to Hikari

6. Saenai Ojisan to Oresama Yankee-kun

7. Ogeha

8. Shoujo Gensou Necrophilia

9. Sumire♡16-sai!!

10. Ride-On King

@Absurdo_N A top 10 that's more about romance or fantasy, I like that mix. Nevertheless, which Ibitsu are you talking about, as I've seen 2 here on Mal?

I love Magmell and Tenju no Kuni! The latter is on my Top 10 manga overall. As for my Top 10 unknown (more like they don't have that many members) manga:

1. Tenju no Kuni
2. Haruyuki Bus
3. Koi Tsukiyo no Himegoto
4. Kurenai Ouji
5. Marry Me!
6. Tsukikage Baby
7. Deep Sea Aquarium MagMell
8. Ohayou Toka, Oyasumi Toka
9. Kimi wa Nazotoki no Ma Cherie
10. Boku yo Watashi no Henai Jijou

I tend to read short shoujo manga though, and they tend to not have that many readers. Most on my list is also shoujo-ish or is a romance manga.

Not really a top ten but just some less known stuff I've read, there are a lot of those. Not including some good ones that people have already mentioned like Qualia The Purple, The Mitarai's House is on Fire, A Lollypop or A Bullet, Zannen Onna Kanbu Black General-san, Bibliomania...Fool Night (not really sold on this one yet though).

Wakusei Closet
Ani no Yome to Kurashiteimasu
Aono-kun ni Sawaritai kara Shinitai
Isho, Koukai
Tsurebito
Kumika no Mikaku
Number Girl
Samurai Usagi
Shinu hodo Kimi no Shojo ga Hoshii
Complex Age
Goukon ni Ittara Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi

@Kumoiro_Shizuki

https://myanimelist.net/manga/16688/Ibitsu

@Toha I think I must have put in more than 5 mangas from your top in my "plan to read" mangas. They all sound really intriguing. I do have one question though: What didn't you like about Fool Night?

@Kumoiro_Shizuki Cool, hope you like them. I did try to have a variety of different genres and overall vibes among the list.
As for Fool Night – not like I disliked it per se, it just feels a little inconsistent at what it tries to be. Like, at first it looks like some kind of melancholic anti-utopia, then you feel like it would be about the guy helping others using his “special powers”, then it becomes murder detective, then conspiracy thriller with action…so much stuff mixed that it feels like it can just be anything else in the next 10 or so chapters. I’ll need more time to understand the core of the story to make a better judgement whether I like it or not. As of chapter 50, I’m just not sure yet.

@Rissio Thanks for the tips, as soon as I finish my few reads, I'll get to read it straight away. For Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, I see it very often, why is it so good?

And for Bibliomania, what could be better for a backroom fan than Bibliomania, Fool Night and Blame?

@Shirayukin I can tell from your top 10 what kind of manga you like. For my part, the 2 small things that bother me are the design in some manga (hello Fruit Basket) and the cutting of the storyboards. That's why Tenju No Kuni and Insomniacs were perfect reads for me. In fact, I'm delighted to see an unconditional fan of this magnificent little work, which transports us into a world that's under-exploited. The same goes for Magmell, which teaches us so much about the fascinating world of the ocean. If you have any other recommendations in this style, I'd love to hear yours.

@Kumoiro_Shizuki
Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity is cute romance, there isn't unnecessary miscommunication, no stupid male MC, characters feel realistic, more like people than typical romance tropes, it doesn't take 100+ characters for characters to confess their love. So I guess it's bit refreshing to see this type of romance in manga.

@Kumoiro_Shizuki when it comes to a more informational manga about a world that arent explored much in manga, I think about Shrink: Seishinkai Yowai. It tells a story about a psychiatrist and teaches a lot about mental disorders and how it is handled in Japanese society.

As for style/atmosphere that feels similar, I think of Hokuou Kizoku to Moukinzuma no Yukiguni Karigurashi. It does show how traditional life in a harsh cold area, but I think it's not really set in real world - but based on 16th(?) century Europe.

@Shirayukin The 1st reminds me a little of certain manga, like Trace or Platanus no Mi. Given the synopsis, I think I'll take a look.

As for the 2nd manga, it's available in physical form in France. It came out recently and intrigues me. What are its qualities?

@Kumoiro_Shizuki what stands out from the 2nd manga to me is its setting I mentioned. I personally also like the main characters and their relationship. I find the characters pretty unique, and their relationship and the manga as a whole feels pretty hearwarming/calming. A nice Slice of Life overall.

@Shirayukin It's okay, I'm convinced. I'm going to read this manga too. It's amazing how you can find such fascinating manga simply by talking to people on the other side of the planet. Thank you, because thanks to you, I may have found a work that will leave a lasting impression on me.

@Kumoiro_Shizuki I hope you will enjoy them. I will probably check out some manga on this thread as well. Always nice to discover hidden gems!

Too lazy to do a list of ten series at the moment, but for sure "Give My Regards to Black Jack" should get WAY more love and attention.



EDIT: Ah, fuck it. It's easy enough to go through my manga list and see what other series I enjoyed that also deserve more:

1. Oooku
   
2. Momo and Manji
   
3. Real - Proof that all of Inoue's series are amazing, but I see that it does not get talked about as much as "Slam Dunk" or "Vagabond."
   
4. Endless World
   
5. Hoshi wa Utau - Same mangaka as "Fruits Basket" and should be more well-known.
   
6. Okaeri Alice - Same situation as with the previous series, mangaka is known for "The Flowers of Evil" and "Blood on the Tracks" but this one should also be up there.
   
7. Tetsugaku Letra / Yuunagi ni Mae, Boku no Ribbon - These two are good for similar reasons.
   
8. Blue Flag - I'd say people do know about this series depending on which circles you're in, but I'm flabbergasted that this series never got an anime adaptation and was introduced to a broader audience. I could see it being such a big hit. The mangaka is also so talented that I'm keeping an eye out for his next series.
   

Also, I really liked "Oni wa Warau ka," but this one is very much an acquired taste.

No order just throwing them out there. Not few to do top 10. Also you can tell I reviewed some or have the only review for them so that also says how niche they are if no reviews besides the members/popularity listed.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/78929/Fujiwara_Hakushaku_no_Junan I enjoyed this one a lot. The girl's overcoming situation and the cat, honestly so many can be wow the animal the human characters love so much/get obsessive. To me the cat thoughts/dialogue was good and it wasn't animal obsession so that's why I like it it made both human/animal characters enjoyed to read their situations. I don't care for streaming and that side but I found they presented it fair enough compared to other manga with such aspects/descriptions in the main plot.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/99819/Ikinokore_Shachiku-chan I found the situations really enjoyable. Sure and office and with IT lingo but that's easy to understand but I liked it a lot. A fair office comedy.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/105658/Now_Loading I think my first or one of the few Yuri manga I've read and I enjoyed it. Short but got it's points across well.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/86633/Danchigai Just enjoyable teen/kid family living moments. I may rewatch the anime/a few chapters again at some point maybe.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/106641/Chichi_no_Jikan?q=chichi%20no%20jikan&cat=manga A fair dynamic and taken pretty seriously even if the female lead can't take it seriously the male lead does for such an odd alien/taking care of type situation presented as. No idea if inspired by others with aliens and babies.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/107706/Game_Yaru_kara_100-en_Kashite A fair office, cafe, gaming kind of manga. Different from Wotaki.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/111508/Tawawa_na_Oppai_wa_Suki_desu_ka__Kyonyuu_Shoujo_Anthology_Comic It may be an ecchi anthology but because it's an anthology a lot of stories were really interesting the different angles they went for.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/133916/Zettai_ni_Furo_ni_Hairitakunai_Kanojo_vs_Zettai_ni_Furo_ni_Iretai_Kareshi Fun situations, no ecchi just charming situations between the couple and other characters.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/123990/Shachiku_Succubus_no_Hanashi A good way to present a Succubus that is just therre to chill with the character, just having fun, no ecchi even if Succubus are associated with it usually. There is another one I've read that I think is similar (Saki Hungers that is ecchi and another that is non-ecchi/clean but works in an office I forget the name).

https://myanimelist.net/manga/10837/Koe_de_Oshigoto I like the way it balances the quirkiness of the characters and the eroge development details.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/133362/Ganbare_Douki-chan The romance is hit and miss but the comedy/art is pretty good I find. I watched this one week to week it's short form episodes same with Tawawa on Monday S2. Why not.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/108520/Bijin_Onna_Joushi_Takizawa-san Fair office romcom

https://myanimelist.net/manga/111261/Akuyaku_Ouji_wa_Koi_ga_Dekinai A fair main character syndrome sort of story and how it uses that concept.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/111477/Asoko_de_Hataraku_Musubu-san Maybe about the company they work when looking at it at first (and is sponsored by a company that specializes in it I think) in but the romance is pretty good.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/135383/Kimi_to_Pico-Pico I prefer over Gamers, I prefer the romance and the gaming moments more here.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/130186/Rental_Kanojo_Tsukita-san Different then Rent A Girlfriend and does a good job being it's own rental girlfriend experience and does in fact end.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/130549/Ano_Oni_Kyoushi_ga_Boku_no_Ane_ni_Naru_n_desu_ka A fair dynamic.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/139094/Otaku_datte_Gal_to_Koi_Shitai fair situations, good art.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/139456/Gotou-san_wa_Furimukasetai Fair romance, enjoyable moments, short chapters but some are brief, others longer and expand on moments.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/14491/Hen_Koi Fair ecchi moments

https://myanimelist.net/manga/98035/Kabe_ni_Marycom Fair moments

https://myanimelist.net/manga/110600/Mimibukuro-san_no_Chiebukuro Fair ecchi moments and body details like Futari Ecchi of educational to a degree, like the animal ones does some animal details of education (not as in-depth as Futari Ecchi but still there besides the weird situation put in)

https://myanimelist.net/manga/113249/Hen_na_Chishiki_ni_Kuwashii_Kanojo_Takayukashiki_Souko-san Fair dialogue/moments

https://myanimelist.net/manga/116737/Chicchai_Senpai_ga_Kawaisugiru Fair moments, and it's 2 sequels.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/117261/Rental_Girls Fair mix of different stories/'films'

https://myanimelist.net/manga/118063/Okusama_wa_Niizuma-chan Fair couple/moments with the wives thoughts

https://myanimelist.net/manga/130230/Itai_Oneesan_wa_Suki_desu_ka Not much but enjoyable enough to read all 100 chapters even if she has many failures or not much that goes on but it is interesting to always see what happens next between characters for an office lady getting by in life and how people think/act in their personal lives.

https://myanimelist.net/manga/12305/Schoolmate Fair modelling and moments

https://myanimelist.net/manga/73701/EG_Maker Fair ecchi moments and eroge development

https://myanimelist.net/manga/83997/Okusan_Volleyball vaguely remember being good

https://myanimelist.net/manga/116488/Satou-kun_wa_Miteiru__Kamisama_Appli_de_Onnanoko_no_Kokoro_wo_Nozoitara_Do_xx_Datta fair use of the app/romance type story I've seen more in Manhwa with an app or with special glasses

https://myanimelist.net/manga/120308/Senpai_Office_Love_Shimasho%E2%99%AA was fair of moments this and the one that did get an anime https://myanimelist.net/manga/126161/Uchi_no_Kaisha_no_Chiisai_Senpai_no_Hanashi

https://myanimelist.net/manga/3288/Love%E2%99%A1Lucky Like Baka to Boing a pretty fair idol and fan that likes her manga other than with baka to boing she is dead while here they are a couple https://myanimelist.net/manga/11653/Baka_to_Boing?q=baka%20to%20boing&cat=manga

https://myanimelist.net/manga/604/Okusama_wa_Joshikousei a fair manga, I did find Tawawa on Monday did a few scene/episode speedrunning but this at a slower pass is fair of the dynamic they have

https://myanimelist.net/manga/56253/Chichi_Miko__Inran_Otome_Zoushi a fair ecchi/borderline

https://myanimelist.net/manga/38167/18_Rin a fair dynamic the character finds themself in

https://myanimelist.net/manga/18354/Ebisu-san_to_Hotei-san fair office situation manga

https://myanimelist.net/manga/92236/Paranoia_Cage A fair mangaka what they work on, their ecchi thoughts to draw an ecchi manga/life situation

@Suntanned_Duck2 I can see that these are very ecchi/erotic recommendations. You've brought back some very, very dark memories with certain manga, and I don't thank you for that 🤣. It's a pretty interesting choice, though. In view of what you've presented, you should also try JunWaidan. I've only read 2-3 chapters, but I think you might like it. In any case, thank you very much for your very thorough reply.

1 get backers
2 samurai deeper kyo
3 basara
4 shonan juni gumi
5god child
6 red river
7 records of the fallen vampire
8 Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning
9 tokyo crazy paradise
10 angel sanctuary
11 sanctuary

Interesting question… I don’t know if I can get a full 10 yet, haha.

1. Psyche Matashitemo
2. Please Save My Earth
3. Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
4. Kokkoku
5. Takkoku!!!
6. Kubera
7. Hibiki’s Magic

Hopefully these are obscure enough choices.

@phantomic109 First of all, thank you very much for your reply. Secondly, very happy to see Kokkoku in a top manga. I loved the anime when it came out and can't wait to read the manga. I'd also recommend 2 anime series more or less in the same style: Pet and Babylon.

Then, what do you like in the other works? I don't necessarily know them all very well, but I'm curious about their qualities.

@MibuKyou I'm very happy to see Get Backers and Spiral in someone's top 10. I may not have seen/read the entirety of these series, but they have a special place in my heart. After all, I can see that the graphic style between the mangas is pretty similar. Personally, it's a style I don't like at all. Why do you like it?

Here is a few that come to mind:

Choujin X is not talked about nearly enough

Gachiakuta

Kongou Banchou

Alive: Saishuu Shinkateki Shounen

Deatte 5-byou de Battle

Peepo Choo This shit had me wheezing

Kurozakuro

Blaster Knuckle If Guts was black in the 1800s

Narutaru Strange...very strange loved it tho

Tatoe Hai ni Nattemo I remember this being a good death game manga

@Kumoiro_Shizuki Great to see another Kokkoku fan! It’s not very popular, haha. I do have Pet in my PTW, but I’ll have to look at Babylon, thank you!

For the other series:
Psyche Matashitemo is a battle shounen series with a protagonist who can rewind time to the start of the day. It’s fairly typical, but the fights are clever, with unique powers, and the main character was written really well. Plus it’s just really fun to read!
Please Save My Earth is a really tough one to describe, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything else like it. It’s sort of a shoujo manga about some people who discover that they are reincarnations of mysterious moon people. It’s written in a very dramatic style. My description doesn’t really do it justice, but the best thing I can say about it is that its story is so unique that I couldn’t predict at all.
Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is a manga adaptation of the novel. I’m a big Narnia fan, so I had to check this one out, of course. It’s EXTREMELY faithful to its source material, while also giving it a really beautiful art style.
Takkoku, from the same author as Psyche Matashitemo, is a romcom manga about ping pong. It’s really off the walls ridiculous, so it can be a bit polarizing lol. The premise is that Japan passes a law making it so that in order to date someone you first have to beat them at ping pong. The main couple reunite with each other after many years, and the guy tries to beat the girl so they can date. But she’s become so good at the sport that she instinctively beats him. So it’s basically the journey of this guy getting better at ping pong to be able to date the girl he likes, complete with crazy, physics-defying matches.
Kubera is technically a manhwa, not a manga. I don’t read many of those, but this one is just such a great story! It’s an epic fantasy story with amazing detailed worldbuilding and such a huge cast that I don’t remember most of them anymore. The story was planned out from the very beginning and can get pretty complex, so I ended up putting it on hold until it ends, but given that it has over 600 chapters and is still going, that probably won’t be soon lol.
Hibiki’s Magic is certainly the weakest on this list, but it has a special value. It’s a decent little fantasy slice of life story, but what really makes it interesting is that it’s written by Jun Maeda. He’s the writer of some of my favourite stories, so I went and read this as well. Turns out, this was a later attempt from Maeda to put one of his earliest ideas to pen. So I think that alone makes it a really cool read! It’s still pretty good on its own, but that’s definitely the highlight of the series.

@Kumoiro_Shizuki

I am happy to know that someone still remembers these hidden gems in these days , well for me they were fun to read from the first chapter until the end

For get backers , i like the world build and that there are many memorable characters, and i like the mystery regarding many characters and the world of get backers you will understand the story in last volumes and everything will make sense, it's not straightforward like your everyday shounen but you will like it if you like dark atmosphere manga with some light moments, and also there are many memorable battles and the art for me is good , you should give it a try

For spiral , its also mystery and mind games battle with cool characters, the story focus ayumu narumi and the mystery of his life and his brother disappearance , and the organization blade childrens , like get backers you will not understand what's going on many things, but little by little everything will make sense

If you like dark mystery with a bit light content and cool characters you should give them a try specially get backers and some of the manga that I mentioned they are not well known if you have time give them chance

@Dragosama I love your top. There are only mangas that interest me or mangas that are currently in my top.

In fact, it's one of two things. If you enjoyed Blaster Knuckle, you should also enjoy the manga Cestvs by the same author. I loved its story and atmosphere, despite the wreckage that was its anime.

And as for Gachiakuta, I don't know if you've seen this incredible news, but it seems that an anime will soon be unveiled. From what the sources tell us, the studio behind it is a good one.