First launched in Korea by Naver Webtoon in 2004, webtoons – comics read on smartphones and other devices – have become a worldwide phenomenon, consumed in more than 100 countries. That includes Japan, where webtoons – published in full-color in an easy-to-read vertical scrolling format – have challenged the supremacy of Japan’s native manga, which are traditionally printed in black-and-white in layouts that, to the uninitiated, can be like negotiating a maze.
At a TIFFCOM talk event on Thursday, Kim Sinbae, the CEO of Line Digital Frontier – Naver Webtoon’s Japan subsidiary – and Tamaki Teraya, director of the Tatesc-Comic Department of Japanese media conglomerate Kadokawa discussed how they are building their webtoon businesses for the Japanese market and beyond. (“Tatesc-Comic”There is a Nipponization “Vertical Scroll Comic”.)
Kadokawa, a longtime publisher of traditional Manga, sees the move to webtoons as a way to find new audiences, revenue streams, and also discover new talent via company-run contests among thousands of amateur webtoon creators. “We have just held our second contest for newcomers,”Tamaki. “One interesting thing we’ve found this time around is that is that a large number of the contestants are from overseas. Also, we’ve drawn a lot more entries.”
Since Kadokawa launched its Tatesc-Comic Department in January of 2021, Tamaki and his colleagues have not only recruited staff and formed cooperative ties with webtoon studios, but as of the end of this August published 38 original comics, converted 60 of Kadokawa’s legacy IP into scrolling comics, and began selling its IP through six online stores. There are many genres to choose from, including horror and romance. They can be enjoyed by both men as well as women.
Kim also noted that webtoons are a democratic medium. “anyone can self-publish and quickly get feedback from readers.”Creators can increase their audience without the traditional gatekeepers that make a living from their revenues.
So, what’s the role for an old-line publisher like Kadokawa? “For one thing, we can smooth communications between the creator and the user,”Tamaki. “Creators want to promote their work, but it can require a huge amount of time and energy. In many cases that’s where editors and publishers can play a role.”
“Editors also serve as first readers,”He concluded. “Of course, they judge whether a work is interesting or not, but they also weigh the social impact and the risk of bringing it out into the world.”
Kim acknowledged that professional editors do have a role, but he also said that Line Digital Frontier, as a major operator of webtoon platforms, serves a function similar Instagram or YouTube: It gives everyone, amateur or professional, a platform to express their creativity. “By offering many creators chances to express their strengths in webtoons, which may be interesting even if they are not perfect, we are making the manga market more diverse.”