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In an effort to expand webtoon based IP, CEO Kim Shinbae announced that the company is planning to adapt 20 webtoons into anime this year.
He made this statement on Feb 13 during a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
He emphasized that LINE Manga’s vision extends beyond being a webtoon platform, as it seeks to create a “webtoon kingdom” that generates revenue across multiple sectors, including animation, dramas, and films.
“In Japan, we are focusing on expanding webtoons into dramas, movies, and animations as part of our IP business,” Kim stated. “We aim to build an independent and unrivaled value chain.“
This year’s project builds on LINE Manga’s growing success in webtoon adaptations.
In 2023, the company produced 12 webtoons into dramas and animations, a significant increase from just one adaptation in 2022 and two in 2021.
Among the upcoming adaptations is the Japanese webtoon Clavatess: The King Of Devil Beasts, which will be released as an anime this July. Other popular titles, such as Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, are also set for anime adaptations.
Kim explained that the strategic focus on anime adaptations is driven by the global appeal of Japanese animation.
“In Japan, TV animations and theatrical anime adaptations gain attention in the U.S. as well,” he noted, underscoring the potential for these adaptations to drive long-term revenue growth. “We are the only company that not only provides webtoon content services in Japan but also expands the IP into other businesses such as video adaptations, establishing a global IP value chain.“
As part of its strategy, LINE Digital Frontier recently invested in shares of the Japanese webtoon production studio Number Nine. Kim noted that the number of webtoon production studios in Japan is increasing, and the company intends to actively push for co-productions and collaborations.
With major U.S. tech companies such as Amazon and Apple entering the webtoon market, Kim acknowledged their interest as a natural progression. Rather than seeing them as competitors, he expressed optimism about growing the industry together.
“We want to grow the market together and establish webtoons as a mainstream entertainment format,” he stated.
LINE Manga has already achieved notable success with its webtoons. Four titles—three Korean and one Japanese—have surpassed a monthly transaction amount of 100 million yen.
The CEO expressed confidence that this 100-million-yen club would continue to expand, further solidifying LINE Manga’s position in the digital comics and anime adaptation industry.
Source: Hankyung
