LINE Manga, the Japanese-language service of Naver WEBTOON, has ascended to the top spot as the highest-grossing app in Japan during the first quarter of 2025. This milestone marks a significant shift in the digital manga landscape, reversing a four-year trend and highlighting the growing popularity of webtoons and digital manga consumption in Japan. This achievement coincides with the platform’s 12th anniversary, celebrating over a decade of connecting readers with a vast library of manga and webtoon content.
The Rise of LINE Manga
LINE Manga’s journey to the top has been marked by strategic growth and a keen understanding of the Japanese manga market. Several factors contributed to its recent success:
- Overthrowing the Competition: In May 2024, LINE Manga overtook Kakao Piccoma, a leading digital manga and novel platform, signaling a change in the market dynamics. By the second half of 2024, LINE Manga had already claimed the top position in Japan’s non-gaming app revenue.
- Strategic Content Focus: Naver WEBTOON attributes LINE Manga’s success to the increasing global popularity of Korean webtoons and a strategic emphasis on supporting local creators and collaborating with Japanese production studios. This dual approach has allowed LINE Manga to cultivate a robust content ecosystem that resonates with Japanese readers.
- Revenue Growth: The platforms of LINE Manga, including LINE Manga and ebook Japan, experienced a notable surge in paid content revenue, reaching US$594.3 million in 2024, a 12.7% increase year-over-year. Including advertising and IP-based business growth, Naver WEBTOON’s total revenue in Japan reached US$648.3 million last year.
- Animation Adaptations: LINE Digital Frontier CEO Shin-bae Kim announced plans in February to produce 20 animated adaptations of webtoons in 2025, further expanding the platform’s intellectual property (IP) business.
Key Features and Content
LINE Manga distinguishes itself through several key features and a diverse content library:
- Extensive Library: Boasting over 700,000 titles, LINE Manga offers a wide selection of manga, including exclusive original works and early releases. This vast catalog ensures that readers have access to a wide variety of content.
- Free Reading Options: The app provides various free manga options, including full-volume previews and weekly chapter updates. The “Everyday Free” feature and “¥0 Pass” allow users to access up to 13 free chapters daily.
- Original and Exclusive Content: LINE Manga is home to over 700 original titles, including popular series like Reincarnated as a Slime and My Lovely Lady.
- Popular Titles: The platform features popular manga such as True Beauty, Lookism, and Senpai is an Otokonoko, attracting a wide readership.
- Integration with LINE Platform: LINE Manga benefits from its integration with the popular LINE messaging app, allowing users to share manga titles with friends and collect exclusive stickers.
The Digital Manga Revolution in Japan
LINE Manga’s success is indicative of the broader shift towards digital manga consumption in Japan. Digital manga accounted for 73% of Japan’s domestic manga sales in 2024, a significant increase from 2019. This trend is driven by the convenience and accessibility of digital platforms, which allow readers to enjoy their favorite manga anytime, anywhere.
Market Trends
Several key trends are shaping the digital manga market in Japan:
- Digital Growth: Digital manga remains the only growing channel in the Japanese manga market, as revenues from print manga volumes and magazines continue to decline.
- Mobile Consumption: The widespread availability of smartphones and tablets has made digital manga more accessible than ever.
- Global Accessibility: Digital platforms offer simultaneous global releases and features like panel-by-panel navigation and translation support.
- Webtoon Popularity: The rise of webtoons, with their vibrant colors, easy accessibility, and unique storytelling, is challenging the traditional manga format.
- Online Distribution: The online segment accounts for a significant share (35-45%) of the manga market, driven by the adoption of platforms like WEBTOON, Kindle, and ComiXology.
- Subscription Models: Cost-effective options such as subscription services and digital rentals are driving growth in the online segment.
Key Players
The digital manga market in Japan is competitive, with several key players vying for market share:
- LINE Manga: Operated by LINE Digital Frontier, the Japanese subsidiary of Naver WEBTOON, LINE Manga offers a wide range of licensed manga and original webtoons.
- Piccoma: A popular manga and novel platform operated by Kakao Piccoma Corp.
- Manga eBookJapan: A digital manga store with a vast collection of titles.
- Mecha Comic: Another popular platform for reading manga online.
- Other Platforms: Manga BANG!, Manga Park, Magapoke, Manga One, Manga Box, and Zebrack are also popular manga apps in Japan.
Market Statistics
The Japanese app market is one of the most lucrative and active in the world. Several key statistics highlight the importance of the manga app market:
- Revenue: The Japanese app market generated $17.9 billion in 2023.
- Consumer Spending: Comic book app Piccoma was the top-grossing app in Japan in 2023, with over $500 million in consumer spending.
- Smartphone Users: There were 98 million smartphone users in Japan in 2023.
- App Downloads: Apps were downloaded 2.5 billion times in Japan in 2023.
- Time Spent on Apps: Japanese users spent 57 billion hours on mobile apps in 2023.
The Influence of LINE and Webtoons
LINE Manga’s triumph reflects the broader influence of the LINE platform and the growing appeal of webtoons in Japan.
The LINE Ecosystem
LINE is a dominant messaging and social media platform in Japan, with over 95 million users. Its success is attributed to its unique animated stickers and diverse range of integrated services. LINE’s features include:
- Messaging and Communication: Free voice, video, and chat communication between users.
- Games: A wide selection of games with in-app purchases using LINE Coins.
- LINE TV: An online streaming platform with TV series, sports programs, and more.
- LINE Shopping: An e-commerce component with access to over 230 retailers and 300 million items.
- LINE Pay: A digital payment service integrated within the LINE app.
LINE’s widespread popularity in Japan makes it a powerful platform for promoting LINE Manga and attracting new readers.
The Webtoon Wave
Webtoons, with their South Korean origins, are gaining increasing traction in the Japanese manga market. These digital comics are characterized by their vertical scrolling format, vibrant colors, and diverse genres. LINE Manga has been instrumental in popularizing webtoons in Japan by:
- Integrating Webtoons: Expanding its content library to include original webtoons.
- Promoting Local Creators: Supporting local creators and partnering with Japanese production studios to create webtoon content.
- Offering Free Content: Providing free access to webtoon chapters, attracting new readers to the platform.
The rising popularity of webtoons is not only transforming the digital manga landscape but also influencing the style and storytelling of Japanese manga.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Manga in Japan
LINE Manga’s success in Q1 2025 signals a dynamic future for the manga market in Japan. The digital shift, the rise of webtoons, and the strategic focus on content and accessibility are key factors driving growth and innovation. As the market evolves, several trends are expected to shape its future:
- Continued Digital Growth: Digital manga will continue to dominate the market, driven by the convenience and accessibility of online platforms.
- Increased Anime Adaptations: The growing demand for anime adaptations will further boost the popularity of manga titles.
- Global Expansion: Japanese manga publishers will seek new sources of revenue in international markets.
- IP Development: Publishers will focus on developing manga-based intellectual property, including anime, games, and merchandise.
- Focus on Value: Apps providing value-for-money deals will continue to gain popularity.
As LINE Manga continues to innovate and adapt to the evolving needs of Japanese readers, it is well-positioned to maintain its leadership in the digital manga market. The platform’s commitment to content diversity, accessibility, and strategic partnerships will ensure its continued success in the years to come.
