South Korean tech firms shake up Japan's storied manga industry

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By Sam Nussey
TOKYO (Reuters) - Two South Korean technology companies are borrowing from mobile gaming to shake up - and dominate - Japan's storied manga industry, a plot twist that has expanded the comics' fanbase to a new generation of readers.
Backed by tech giants Kakao Corp and Naver Corp, Piccoma and Line Manga have become Japan's highest-grossing mobile apps outside games. Such online manga platforms have seen a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Piccoma's third-quarter transaction volumes more than tripled year on year to 11.6 billion yen ($110 million), extending a wave of online manga sales that has already seen digital surpass print in Japan's $5 billion manga industry.
Line Manga, now operated by SoftBank's internet business Z Holdings, saw transaction volumes jump by ...


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