Line Digital Frontier, which operates the Japanese service of Naver Webtoon, announced on the 16th that it has invested in and secured equity in the local digital comic agency Number Nine Co., Ltd. to accelerate the establishment of the Japanese creative ecosystem.
Founded in Japan in 2016, Number Nine Co., Ltd. began with digital comic brokerage services and has recently expanded its business scope to include webtoon production studios. The webtoons produced by Number Nine Co., Ltd., 'The Savior of Blood' and 'The Strongest Transcendent,' gained significant popularity last year by ranking in the TOP 10 of the Line Manga 2024 rankings. These works are also available in Korean, English, and French through Naver Webtoon's global services.
This investment marks the first investment in a studio producing webtoons in Japan by Webtoon Entertainment, the parent company of Line Digital Frontier. Through the partnership, Webtoon Entertainment plans to further expand the creative ecosystem that led to the successful global market entry of Naver Webtoon in Japan, enhancing its leadership in global storytelling content.
Line Manga, operated by Line Digital Frontier, has solidified its position as the number one comic app in Japan's overall app market based on revenue, including games.
Kim Jun-gu, CEO of Webtoon Entertainment and Naver Webtoon, noted, 'Efforts to build the Japanese creative ecosystem are leading to solid growth in the Japanese business and the emergence of hit works.' He added, 'The two companies that turned 'The Savior of Blood' into a global hit are expected to expand their partnership and present competitive works to readers worldwide.'