The market for webtoons, or vertically scrolling comics, is growing rapidly around the world. Recently, WEBTOON Entertainment, the parent company of LINE Digital Frontier Inc., which operates the LINE Manga service, announced its listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market in the United States.

In Japan, with its long history of manga, webtoons such as "Senpai wa Otokonoko" have been hitting the market one after another. We spoke with MasamineTakahashi, CEO of LINE Digital Frontier Inc., about how the global expansion of Japanese webtoons promoted by LINE Manga could shine a new light on the future of Japan, the manga powerhouse.

Like a Scene from a Manga": From Indie Beginnings to Times Square

The popular "Japanese webtoon works" of LINE Manga took over New York's Times Square, the holy ground of American entertainment.

This was part of a ceremony celebrating WEBTOON Entertainment's listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market on June 27 (local time), featuring massive display ads throughout Times Square. These included "Senpai wa Otokonoko," which began airing as an anime on July 4 (Fuji TV's Noitamina block and others), and "Savior of Divine Blood" which topped domestic monthly sales in January 2024 with 120 million yen.

Masamine Takahashi, CEO of LINE Digital Frontier Inc., who was present at the event, shared his excitement, "This development is thrilling, like a scene from a manga."

"Originally, 'Senpai wa Otokonoko' started as a work in LINE Manga Indies, where anyone can post manga. It gained enthusiastic support from readers, became a regular series, and ranked first in the '5th Manga Rankings You Want to See Animated' in 2022. The fact that it now decorates Times Square just before its anime adaptation—who could have imagined this story? It was an excellent ceremony that reaffirmed the richness of Japan's manga culture, which nurtured talents like Pomu-sensei, the original author, and powerfully propelled our mission to 'create the future of Japanese manga.'"

WEBTOON Entertainment's Global Expansion and Youthful User Base

WEBTOON Entertainment collaborates with electronic comic services deployed in over 150 countries and regions worldwide, focusing on translating and globally distributing works produced in various countries. Recently, "Savior of Divine Blood" and "ataware Reijou ga Dansou suru Riyuu," serialized in LINE Manga, have entered the top 10 trending rankings on the American electronic comic service WEBTOON.

"Japanese manga has a proven history of being accepted globally. In modern times, webtoons are capturing readers worldwide. This trend is especially pronounced among younger audiences; for instance, 95% of U.S. WEBTOON users are under 35. The fact that webtoons resonate with young users globally is truly a beacon of hope. In Japan, many fans continue to love the manga they were passionate about as children and make it a point to watch movie adaptations as adults. I'm excited to see a similar phenomenon starting globally."

Strengthening Investments with IPO Funds to Produce Iconic Webtoon Works: "Japanese Creators are the Strongest Candidates"

The funds raised from the Nasdaq listing will be invested in strengthening IP development, including anime.

"The spread of global video streaming services like Netflix and Crunchyroll has increased worldwide demand for original works. Many hit dramas based on webtoons have already emerged, but Japan's anime creativity is top-class worldwide. By collaborating closely with the video industry, we aim to develop original LINE Manga works into more global IPs."

Furthermore, Takahashi spoke about strengthening investment in creators as part of LINE Manga's initiatives post-listing.

"Much of Japanese manga has been created by the passion of individual authors. 'Senpai wa Otokonoko' is a prime example, and we will continue to support talented authors. On the other hand, high-quality works are increasingly being produced by webtoon production studios. 'Savior of Divine Blood' is a work by Studio No.9, and 'Kataware Reijo' is by SORAJIMA. Webtoon readers are increasing worldwide, and there is a growing demand for a larger volume of works to cater to diverse tastes and preferences. Therefore, we also want to strengthen support for studios that provide high-quality works at a stable pace."

Japan, a manga powerhouse, now sees a diverse range of webtoons being 'mass-produced' worldwide, capturing global readers. Popular works like "True Beauty" from South Korea and "Lore Olympus" from the U.S. have emerged, but there has yet to be a symbolic work representing Japanese webtoons.

"That's a critical point. For instance, if you ask someone overseas what comes to mind when they think of Japanese manga, many would answer 'Dragon Ball.' Such universally recognized works will soon emerge from webtoons, and the strongest candidates to create them are Japanese creators. Whether individual authors or studios, Japan's high quality and depth are unparalleled worldwide. The global expansion of Japanese webtoons will undoubtedly become a new growth engine for Japanese manga, and LINE Manga aims to pave the way for this."

(Written by Sumiko Kodama)

Source : ORICON NEWS