I've read a lot of stuff, looking for 'hidden gems'...or just something really unique, and not TOO weird/questionable

Things I consider pretty underrated/unique that I enjoyed:

• Midwood
• No Home
• Guardians of the Lamb
• Different Country Diary
• Unlucky Mansion
• Historie
• The Specific Heat Capacity of Love
• Annarasumanara
• Not underrated: Houseki No Kuni, Firefly Wedding, Nana, Mob Psycho 100, Return of the Mount Hua Sect

(gay warning)

• One-Room TA
• The Constellation of Us
• Two-Way Trial - Youth
• Paljae, Child of Winter
• Sharpe and Rabbit
• First of Summers (geez the art)
• The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese
• How to Hate Mate, anything drawn by Park Ji-yeon, anything drawn by Bad Pharmacy, Lunacy (Kie), Irreversible

You can see full lists in my profile.

If it's popular and not on one of my lists, I've probably tried (and given up) on it. (cough Berserk, Ennead)

Have you read Minority? It gave me a similar vibe to No Home.

Hmm... I wouldn't call them hidden, but they are older and might not be thought of as much nowadays. Also, what do you mean by "TOO" weird/questionable? That can mean a lot of different things. I'll throw you a mixed bag here and maybe something sticks?

Personally, I'm seeing a mix of darker themes, mature romance, and alternate history... and while I have nothing that perfectly fits, maybe you'll find something here.

• Pumpkin Scissors

• Hellsing

• Voynich Hotel

• BLAME!

• Fire Candy - I wasn't even a fan of this one, but your list made me remember it a little. But my memory isn't that good, so....

• Freaks' Squeele

• Fantasy World Survival - the best "realistic" take on a fantasy world I've read and the internet treats it like it never existed for the most part

• Until Death Do Us Part

• Ninkyou Tensei: Isekai no Yakuzahime - this one might be too weird but....

• Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami

• Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan to - To be honest, I'm really not sure if I should suggest this one as it's a gag comedy written and drawn by a married couple about 2 best friends who are forced to confront their worst traits in a very weird way. Lots of zany side characters, too.

And for some curveballs that I'll recommend that doesn't get near your list but I'll recommend anyway:

• Maou ni Natta node, Dungeon Tsukutte Jingai Musume to Honobono suru
• Mezametara Saikyou Soubi to Uchuusen Mochi Datta node, Ikkodate Mezashite Youhei to Shite Jiyuu ni Ikitai
• Yuukyuu no Gusha Asley no, Kenja no Susume
• Yakudatazu Skill ni Jinsei o Sosogikomi 25-nen, Imasara Saikyou no Boukentan Midori Kashi no Akira
• Saikou Nando Meikyuu de Party ni Okizari ni Sareta S-Rank Kenshi, Hontou ni Mayoi Makutte Daremo Shiranai Saishinbu e: Ore no Kan dato Tabun Kocchi ga Deguchi dato Omou
• Isekai Kenkokuki

Well, anyway, I'm not very confident in my picks but I hope at least one of these gives you some new reading material.

I'm a jack of all trades but master of none. Too many jars and not enough hands.

Yes, I like that one a lot!

@LazyReviewer: Thanks!

Seconding Voynich, it's hilarious, cute, and odd. A favorite of mine.

After Life - I think this would be right up your ally, although it's shoujo-ai not shounen-ai.

Blue Nathanael - This one is though haha. Reminds me of your list, in that it's tragic, creative, and impactful.

Densen Complex - The stories in this collection are all bittersweet love stories. Recommending largely due to its great depiction of trans and disabled characters. Especially for '06. If incest squicks you out those stories are easy to avoid because the description tells you.

Adabana (Shirasaya) - might fit. If not it's just a one shot and has very pretty art.

Duds Hunt - Not recommending the main work here (although if it sounds interesting to you go for it, I thought it was alright, just not very deep), but, the extra story Awakened Dreams. It has amazing writing and really hits you over the head in many ways. DON'T read the reviews though, as the first one contains big spoilers for it that you don't want. I will say though that it contains either child molestation or probably rape, but it is never shown and not gone into at all. I think this story is the quintessential hidden-gem, an amazing story hidden at the end of a mediocre one.

Hakushaku Cain Series and it's sequel God Child - People argue about whether the MCs are supposed to be gay, or not, but either way I would say their relationship is beautifully portrayed in both these works. Actually I would say beautiful is a good description for these works in general. They have great mystery, tragedy, and gothic atmosphere. And if you like them the mangaka has some other great works.

Sugar Dark - Umerareta Yami to Shoujo - A cute romance in a creepy atmosphere. Personally, not usually a huge fan of romance, but this sold me on the couple very well. It says it's horror, but it's really not. It just has a dark creepy atmosphere.

Helen ESP - This manga is a mix of things that sound strange together, but it makes them work very well. It's sweet, a bit creepy, strange, and thought-provoking. I think the bottom review (the one by Harimau) puts it best. (And if you've heard or Franken Fran and are worried, don't be, it's not completely messed up like that. Although if you like really messed up, strange horror I recommend that one too.)

Gilgamesh (Hwan Daeng) - Not much like your examples, but certainly unique and a hidden gem. It's a shounen, but with everything done differently. And not just to buck trends, the author talks at the end about how she ignored everyone telling her what she could or could not write and just put what she wanted. And it shows. This is one of the most feminist stories I've ever read despite that not even being a theme. For one thing the action scenes are all drawn just to emphasize the fights. No sexy poses for the women (or the men) here. The characters are all wonderfully written and fleshed out, even the side ones, and though the plot is not complicated it's very well done. At the end there are side stories (many of which are very sad), and I loved the characters so much by that point I actually cried. Which is saying something, I almost never cry especially over fiction. The reviews are pretty mixed, but looking at them I think it's because a lot of people could not take that it was a shounen with some of the things that define that genre, but at the same time totally ignored all the unwritten rules of it. Also, the person who wrote the really long one is clearly pretty stupid (what unclear exposition? it was just unclear to them) and also wrote spoilers in their review.

Tenshi no Wakemae (TAKAHASHI Tsutomu) - Not sure on this one, but it has a great balance between morbid and cute. Also huge impact despite being 8 pages long and has great art.

K no Souretsu - A very eerie and odd gothic mystery. The first couple of reviews tell my feelings about it too.

Anne Freaks - Maybe. It's not much like your examples, but it does have the theme of love changing you for the worse, and generally a dark romance.

Black Paradox - I don't see a lot of horror on your list so not sure if you like it, but I would call this a (very) odd hidden gem by one of my favorite mangka Junji Ito. It's also much lighter on the horror than a lot of his work. If you like it you may enjoy some of his anthologies as they often have mysterious and psychological dark ambiances. And are all very odd.

Under Grand Hotel - A yaoi set in a prison. I would normally have dropped this, because it has way more rape than I am comfortable with. However, it IS set in a prison, and more then that it does a very good job with the couple. They are fucked up people and do fucked up things, even to each other, but you end up believing in their love and all the brutality just makes it seem more real and less fairy tale like. Some of the reviewers have put this better then I am though...

Dark Road - Not sure on this one at all, but it's a very unusual yaoi. Not deep at all, but on the darker side (well maybe more like gritty). And actually has some action unlike most yaoi/shounen-ai (or well at least one of the types of action is unusual for those genres lol).

Not sure how I did, but I found some stuff I want to read from your examples, so I wanted to find something you might like. And if you do like weird and/or dark hidden gems, I've got lots more lol.

I read tons and tons and tons of romance including a lot of bl so feel free to have a look at my completed list. Anything 7 and above is what I consider good. Here's a sample platter of bl I think of as standing out, but that have a sort of maturity (as in tonally, not as in just sexually) that I get the impression you like.

Ore, Sono Kao ga Kirai Desu About two (unrelated) guys with nearly identical faces, which might sound off-putting but I found that I weirdly liked it. It makes for two very different people brought together by a coincidence.

Kimi ga Kagi wo Akeru Made There are a lot of interesting elements here so it's difficult to explain concisely, but ultimately it's a story of two long time friends with a unique kind of relationship finally turning romantic.

Cinema Next Door Two neighbors who start watching movies together and slowly fall in love. It's a very down to earth and adult-like romance.

Kakine to Keidai I can't even explain this but it's an experience. It might fall under the too weird category but I'm putting it here because I liked it, despite having standards, so maybe that means you will too (or this is just my personality flaw).

Ookami wo Katteimasu A man who lives with another guy, who openly has a crush on him, falls into a parallel universe where they never met. Unique characters on top of the already unique premise.

Hatsukoi Fuuzen Moratorium Main character desperately searches for a doll that had significance to his grandfather, but meets a man with a face that resembles the doll instead.

Heart no Kagi wo Te ni Irero About a guy who moves into a new apartment and meets the previous owner, who was coincidentally his older sister's ex. It's the characters and atmosphere that make this one feel unique, though.

Wow, thanks for the detailed list - I'll check em out!

@to_ri_ka_go Thanks! I'll take a look~