LINE Manga, the Japanese-language digital comic platform operated by LINE Digital Frontier, a subsidiary of Naver WEBTOON, has emerged as the highest-grossing app in Japan during the first half of 2025. This achievement, based on combined consumer spending on both iOS and Android platforms, marks a significant shift in the competitive Japanese app market, where gaming applications traditionally dominate the top revenue spots.
A Shifting Landscape in Digital Content
The data, released by mobile analytics firm data.ai on July 8, 2025, positions LINE Manga at the forefront, surpassing even popular mobile games and its closest digital comic competitor, Piccoma. While Piccoma had previously held the top spot for overall consumer spending in Japan for 2024, LINE Manga’s rise to number one in the first half of 2025 signifies a strategic triumph. This ascent also builds upon its earlier success, having already claimed the top position in Japan’s non-gaming app revenue in the second half of 2024 and maintaining that lead into the first quarter of 2025.
The Power of Digital Manga and Webtoons
The broader Japanese manga market is undergoing a significant digital transformation. Digital manga sales have consistently grown, accounting for over 70% of the total manga market revenue in 2024, with sales reaching ¥500.0 billion (approximately $3.3 billion USD) in 2024. This trend is driven by the convenience and accessibility of reading manga on smartphones and tablets, appealing especially to younger, digitally native users.
LINE Manga’s success is deeply intertwined with this digital shift and its strategic embrace of both traditional Japanese manga and Korean webtoons. Launched in 2013, LINE Manga initially offered licensed manga titles and later integrated the webtoon model, allowing users to read some chapters for free. The platform’s strong integration with the LINE messaging app, enabling users to share comics and utilize LINE’s virtual currency, has also been a key factor in its growth.
Strategic Expansion and Content Ecosystem
Naver WEBTOON, LINE Manga’s parent company, has actively expanded its presence and bolstered its content ecosystem in Japan. This includes acquiring a stake in the Japanese manga agency Number Nine earlier in 2025, aimed at strengthening its content pipeline with locally produced webcomics and manga. Furthermore, Naver WEBTOON is actively producing anime adaptations of popular webtoons for the local market, with plans to produce 20 animated adaptations in 2025 alone. This multi-faceted approach, encompassing both local creation and intellectual property (IP) development, contributes significantly to LINE Manga’s increasing market share and revenue.
The company’s strategy focuses on nurturing local creators and partnering with Japanese production studios to build a robust content ecosystem, while also leveraging the growing global popularity of Korean webtoons. This dual approach ensures a diverse and appealing content library for its Japanese audience.
Competition and Market Dynamics
While LINE Manga has now secured the top overall app revenue spot, the digital comic market in Japan remains highly competitive. Piccoma, operated by Kakao, has historically been a dominant force and was the highest-grossing app in Japan for overall consumer spending in 2024. The competition between these two platforms has been a significant driver of innovation and growth in the digital manga sector.
Despite the overall growth in digital manga, some reports in late 2024 indicated a slight decrease in revenue rankings for manga and comic apps, suggesting a need for continuous innovation within the category. However, LINE Manga’s recent performance clearly demonstrates its ability to navigate these dynamics and capture a larger share of consumer spending.
Future Outlook
The Japanese app market continues to be one of the most lucrative globally, ranking third in country consumer spending behind China and the United States. With a technologically engaged population and high smartphone penetration, the demand for high-quality and innovative apps remains strong. The overall mobile application market in Japan is projected to experience robust growth, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 17.5% from 2025 to 2030.
LINE Manga’s achievement in topping the revenue rankings underscores the immense potential of the digital content market in Japan, particularly within the manga and webtoon sectors. Its strategic investments in content creation, IP development, and strong platform integration position it well for continued success in this evolving digital landscape. The company’s focus on both local and international content, coupled with its adaptive business model, suggests a promising trajectory for LINE Manga in the years to come.
