Ranked First in Cumulative Sales This Year... 55 Million Downloads
Surpassing Game Apps and TikTok... Targeting the Japanese Animation Market
Naver Webtoon's Japanese service, Line Manga, ranked first in sales in the Japanese application market in the third quarter of this year.
According to mobile app research firm Data.ai on October 10, Line Manga topped consumer spending in the Japanese app market (including Google Play, Apple App Store, and games) in the third quarter of this year.
Having taken the lead since the first quarter of this year, Line Manga maintained its top position through the third quarter, surpassing even game apps. As of August, cumulative downloads of the Line Manga app in Japan exceeded 55 million.
Naver Webtoon analyzed that Line Manga's strong growth in Japan was due not only to the continued popularity of established hits like 'Admission Mercenary,' but also to the balanced success of new titles across genres such as historical drama, martial arts, and action. The company also stated that its platform competitiveness is being strengthened by leveraging content recommendations and marketing expertise to help users discover more titles and generate revenue within the works themselves.
The company is also accelerating its efforts to target the global animation market. Naver Webtoon expects that expanding its intellectual property (IP) business into animation, following its success in drama adaptations, will create even greater synergy with its webtoon business.
A Naver Webtoon representative stated, "As the influence of our platform and IP grows, we are in discussions with leading Japanese production and distribution companies regarding animation production," adding, "Animation adaptations have been confirmed in Japan for titles such as 'Admission Mercenary,' 'Omniscient Reader,' 'Eleceed,' and 'Dark Moon.'
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