LINE Manga CEO Masamine Takahashi on How Japan’s Digital Comic Revolution Is Shaping the Global Future of “Manga”

“All We Can Do Is Keep Believing”: The Ideal Relationship Between Creators and Platforms

A platform provides the stage—but the stories that unfold upon it belong entirely to the creators. LINE Manga’s philosophy is to trust in that creative energy without reservation. For Takahashi, true innovation happens when creators transcend the limits of format and defy the reader’s expectations.

“Creators’ ingenuity when it comes to expression is extraordinary. For example, when people ask whether webtoons can capture the dynamism of sports manga, I’m not worried at all. The only thing that matters is whether a creator wants to draw sports in the webtoon format. Our job is to ensure there’s a global network ready to deliver that work to the world. If they tell us, ‘We need more motion’ or ‘We need sound,’ the beauty of digital is that we can make that happen. Creators always surpass the limits of what we think is possible.”

That unwavering belief in creators, Takahashi says, is the source of LINE Manga’s momentum. The platform’s mission is not to dictate, but to enable—to prepare the finest possible stage and wait for masterpieces to emerge.

Japan’s Unique Advantage: A Mature and Lifelong Manga Culture

Takahashi also sees an unprecedented opportunity in creating for a global audience. In the past, manga was typically translated and released overseas long after its original publication. Now, digital distribution has all but eliminated that delay. And within this global context, Takahashi believes Japan holds a decisive cultural advantage.

“There’s something we in Japan understand that the rest of the world doesn’t yet: people who grow up reading manga never stop reading it. It’s a lifelong habit. That’s an incredible aspect of Japanese culture. We don’t ‘graduate’ from manga, and we don’t see it as something to be ashamed of. This mature, enduring readership is Japan’s greatest strength.”

Turning Japan’s Cultural Strength into a Global Standard

LINE Manga aims to make this cultural advantage a global norm. As part of that vision, WEBTOON Entertainment has partnered with Disney to distribute over 100 Disney titles—a strategic move to both inspire new creators and welcome audiences unfamiliar with manga. For Takahashi, “creator-first” doesn’t just mean respecting artists—it means building the infrastructure that allows their talent to cross borders and be recognized worldwide.

Over 12 years, LINE Manga has transformed from a digital platform into a game changer for the entire industry. The webtoon format has sparked a creative renaissance within Japan’s manga culture, giving rise to a new wave of storytellers setting sail into the vast ocean of global storytelling.

Now, that vessel is steering toward the open seas of the world. LINE Manga’s sponsorship of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament stands as a bold statement of intent—a declaration that the company’s ambitions now extend beyond media into global culture itself.

“A single talented player can change the world,” Takahashi reflects. “In sports, we’ve seen it with people like Naomi Osaka and Shohei Ohtani. I believe the same can happen in manga. One creator’s story can transform the global landscape. For me, Captain Tsubasa did exactly that when I was young. Japanese manga can change someone’s life anywhere in the world—and we’re here to make that happen.”

By cultivating new creative soil, providing the best possible stage, and opening a path to the global stage, LINE Manga continues to redefine what manga can be. Its story (and the future of manga) is only just beginning.

As readers, all we need to do is wait with excitement for what comes next.

(Interview by Masakazu Isobe / Photography by Tatsuaki Tanaka for Pash)

Source : ORICON NEWS