In America, manga and anime have made their way into being more mainstream. That being said, the ones that make it mainstream in America tend to be popular series. There are lots of good series that are more popular in Japan, or by hardcore manga fans. I decided to share a few of my favorite Manga series that I believe are underrated (in America, at least).
1. Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
From the author's of Death Note, Bakuman follows Mashiro and Takagi as they start their journey to becoming Mangaka (Manga authors). It's an interesting, meta manga that follows the process of creating and publishing manga. Not only is this manga interesting, it's educational!
2. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid by Coolkyoshinja
Miss Kobayashi's is a quirky comedy following Miss Kobayashi and her dragon maid. After saving a dragon's life one day, Miss Kobayashi finds herself with a maid with endless affection for her. The cast of supernatural and day-to-day characters are all colorful, fun, and memorable.
3. Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
A personal favorite of mine, Blue Exorcist follows Rin Okumura, the half son of Satan. Once he discovers his bloodline, Rin swears to defeat Satan, and enters the mysterious True Cross Academny to become an exorcist. Rin tries to keep his bloodline a secret, while unlocking mysterious powers he never knew he had.
4. Karneval by Touya Mikanagi
Karneval follows Nai, a young man who travels in search of Karoku. On the way, he's thrown into an eerie mansion with the petty thief Gareki, and framed for a crime. The two a hunted down as criminals, but a defense agency by the name of 'Circus' comes to their rescue!
5. The Case Study of Vanitas by Jun Mochizuki
From the author of Pandora Hearts, The Case Study of Vantas follows a young vampire named "No?". It's a weird name, and it's a vampire manga, but the plot is intriguing. It follows the rumors revolving around The Book of Vanitas, a search for the tome, and a conflict that threatens the peace between humans and vampires.
