Light novel and manga publishing giant Kadokawa has turned to overseas markets for its search of manga artists as Japan continues to face a crucial workforce shortage.
Kadokawa has a large number of light novels and isekai stories which it is looking to adapt into manga and other media. However, the number of manga being created in Japan has increased to an incomparable level in recent times thanks to the growth of digital platforms. This has made it hard for the manga artists in Japan to keep up with this demand.
Naturally, the discovery of new talent became a high priority for the publisher – a task easier said than done.
“With the spread of digital comics in recent years, the number of manga being supplied has increased to a level incomparable to the past. The reality is that the number of manga artists hasn’t kept up with this, and discovering talented newcomers has become an urgent task for every editorial department,” said Risa Tomizaki, who is a KADOKAWA’s Global e-Book Office and Overseas Manga Editorial Department.
Scouting overseas manga artists to adapt light novels:
With Japan’s declining population, scouting for new artists within Japan no longer was a realistic option for Kadokawa.
On top of that, the submissions they received were concentrated at popular editorial departments and even recruiting talent from social media websites was becoming harder.
“What we are particularly lacking is talent for comic adaptations. While we have an abundance of original works, especially light novels and isekai stories, there is an overwhelming shortage of manga artists to adapt them, leading to a scramble among companies. However, simply joining the acquisition race doesn’t expand the pool of talent, so it’s not a fundamental solution. Discovering and nurturing future popular artists is an essential mission for manga editors. That’s why we focused on scouting aspiring manga artists from overseas, which is still a blue ocean,” said Noboru Segawa, General Manager of KADOKAWA’s Comic Group 2, Chief Editor of the Global Comic Department and Overseas Manga Editorial Department, and IP Development Executive Producer.
In order to counter this, the publisher came up with the Wordless World Manga Contest. The initial purpose of the wordless contest, which relied on art rather than language, was to find overseas artists with strong drawing skills. These artists would then help with the manga adaptations of the company’s existing properties, particularly light novels.
However, the quality of the submissions surpassed the company’s initial expectations. Tomizaki said that while they had expected applicants with strong drawing skills, they were surprised to find many compelling works featuring strong paneling and composition.
Shifting strategy to global expansion:
In response to this “happy miscalculation”, the publisher has shifted its strategy. Instead of just making the winners of the Wordless Manga competition adapt their existing light novels, the artists have now been assigned editors and are being prepared to debut on one of Kadokawa’s comic labels within a year, following the traditional Japanese team-based production model.
To facilitate this, the company also established the “Overseas Manga Editorial Department” in July 2025. By nurturing these newfound talents, the company is aiming to have a stronghold beyond Japan, expanding the industry to a global scale.
Segawa explained that creating manga for younger demographics was commercially challenging in Japan due to its aging population. In contrast, he pointed to countries in Southeast Asia where youth populations can make up over 50% of the nation, presenting an opportunity to compete with works for younger audiences.
KADOKAWA currently operates 19 overseas bases and plans to equip them with local editorial and creative functions.
“We hope to realize a borderless, global editorial system that connects our overseas bases and breaks through language barriers within a few years,” Segawa said. He added that he hoped the new department could become the epicenter for a global “MANGA culture,” producing international hits from the talent it nurtures.
From the global submissions received for the Wordless World Manga Contest, eight winners were selected. Their works are currently available for viewing on the contest’s official website.
An industry-wide trend:
Kadokawa’s global outreach is part of a larger, industry-wide movement. Other major Japanese publishers have also been strengthening their international foundations for years. Shueisha, the publisher of hits like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen, launched its MANGA Plus digital platform in 2019.
The service, which provides simultaneous free releases of new manga chapters in multiple languages across the globe (excluding Japan, China, and South Korea), is a direct-to-consumer strategy designed to reach a worldwide audience instantly and engage them.
The data from Manga Plus is often crucial, as it reflects the reading habits of the international audience, allowing editors to cater to their needs. But that’s not all, Manga Plus’s data also helps in determining which series will get an anime adaptation, which speaks a lot about the pull of the overseas market.
Similarly, Kodansha has a well-established U.S. subsidiary, Kodansha USA Publishing, which manages a vast digital and print catalog, including major titles like Attack on Titan, and has actively worked to increase the number of simultaneous releases with Japan.
This focus on the global market is not limited to manga. The anime industry has also made significant international pushes.
Toho, the film and distribution giant behind hits like the Godzilla franchise and numerous successful anime, has designated animation as its “fourth pillar” of business.
In its “TOHO VISION 2032” management strategy, the company announced major investments aimed at increasing its overseas net operating revenue ratio from 10% to 30% by its 100th anniversary. This includes acquiring U.S. anime distributor GKIDS and expanding its overseas offices to better manage content and licensing abroad.
These corporate strategies are also reflective of the market data. According to the report released by the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), the international anime market size has exceeded the domestic Japanese market in 2023. This trend underscores a fundamental shift where a significant portion of the anime industry’s revenue is now generated from international streaming, licensing, and merchandising, making global expansion not just an opportunity, but a necessity for future growth.
Source: Oricon
