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Animenomics

@animenomics.com

732 followers 52 following 175 posts

News, insights, and data on the global business of anime and manga 🗞️ Newsletter: news.animenomics.com 📧 Contact: editors@animenomics.com

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Animenomics @animenomics.com · 23/09/2026

TakaraTomy Arts is undertaking an ambitious plan to grow its Gacha capsule toy vending machines in North America, through partnerships with amusement giant GENDA, Sega Fave, and trading conglomerate Mitsubishi. Read our interview with executives from TakaraTomy Arts.

news.animenomics.com

TakaraTomy Arts capsule toys ride U.S. anime boom

Maker of Gacha capsule toy vending machines is targeting consumers who already have an interest in anime and Japanese IPs, says company executives

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 16/09/2026

Japan's second largest toymaker and Beyblade maker TakaraTomy is launching a corporate rebranding overseas in 2027 and stepping up investment in toy development, especially for "kidult" consumers at home and abroad. Read our interview with CEO Akio Tomiyama.

news.animenomics.com

TakaraTomy sees kidults in future of global toy business

Beyblade maker is accelerating investment in toy research and development as it pushes into new regional markets, says chief executive officer Akio Tomiyama

Reposted by Animenomics

Richardson Handjaja @rhandjaja.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Through 2030, Link-U will spend 40% of Crunchyroll's investment on expanding Crunchyroll Manga into new markets, 32% on platform engineering and operation for Crunchyroll Manga and other Link-U services, 28% on manga title acquisition and localization, according to JFSA filings.

content.link-u.co.jp

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Richardson Handjaja @rhandjaja.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Crunchyroll, through its Japanese subsidiary, plans to spend ¥918 million (US$5.9 million) to acquire a 7% minority stake in digital manga technology firm Link-U, which built the Crunchyroll Manga platform that was launched in October 2025.

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 09/09/2026

American–Japanese anime production studio N LITE building a slate of works with Afro-origin stories in public, seeking to create excitement in an increasingly difficult market for original films and shows. Read our interview with CEO Christiano Terry.

news.animenomics.com

N LITE uplifts African lore in original anime IPs

Developing the studio's slate in public generates audience engagement early in original productions, says chief executive officer Christiano Terry

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 02/09/2026

Digital manga platform MangaPlaza is gaining traction in its fifth year of operation in the United States, surpassing 1 million registered users at the end of July, its operator said this week. Read our interview with the platform's management at NTT Solmare.

news.animenomics.com

MangaPlaza scales up U.S. digital manga ops

In its fifth year of operation, NTT Solmare’s digital manga platform targeting female readers in North America has grown to more than 1 million registered users

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 26/08/2026

Saudi Arabia's Manga Productions is pivoting toward producing its own anime IPs after years of working with Japanese companies to co-create and import anime, amid a rapidly growing entertainment market at home. Read our interview with CEO Essam Bukhary.

news.animenomics.com

Manga Productions launches Saudi anime IPs

Company also looks to invest in more anime production committees in Japan as it pushes for agility in the industry, says chief executive officer Essam Bukhary

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Heidi MacDonald @ NYCC @comixace.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Since the pandemic the audience for anime in the US has tripled in size, says @animenomics.com here at the first Anime NyC and XTraxks licensing summit. It’s a powerful mix of new characters and nostalgia for older viewer says Richardson Handjaja. #animenyc

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 29/07/2026

Kadokawa's migration of @bookwalker.com earlier this year to a new platform run by subsidiary M12 Media has opened a door for the English-language e-book store to grow beyond serving manga and light novels from Japan. Read our interview with CEO @quarkboy.bsky.social.

news.animenomics.com

BookWalker opens door to manga-adjacent e-books

Kadokawa's global e-book store is growing its catalog of works that were not originally published in Japanese, says chief executive officer Samuel Pinansky

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 22/07/2026

Kadokawa's new English-language @bookwalker.com platform is the first Japanese-owned commercial e-book service to adopt an open standard for digital rights management, giving portability to digital manga and light novel readers. Read our interview with CEO @quarkboy.bsky.social.

news.animenomics.com

Kadokawa moves global e-book store to open DRM

BookWalker's use of European open standard ensures portability for digital manga and light novel readers, says chief executive officer Samuel Pinansky

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 15/07/2026

Technology startup @comici.jp builds a software-as-a-service platform that powers digital apps for Japan's traditional manga magazines, and now it wants to help bridge the gap between magazine editors and overseas readers. Read our interview with founder and CEO @daisakku.comici.jp.

news.animenomics.com

Comici builds magazine-style digital manga apps

Technology startup is confident that the editorial philosophy of Japan's manga magazines can facilitate a better title discovery experience for digital manga readers overseas

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 01/07/2026

Aniplex posted record net sales in the most recent fiscal year thanks to blockbuster titles like "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" and "Kokuho", but earnings at its affiliated anime studios remain mixed as anime production costs soar. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Aniplex earnings soar as studio profits stall

Plus: METI awards anime and manga subsidies; Stripe woos Japanese entertainment firms; Smartphones dominate anime consumption in India; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 24/06/2026

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has published formal guidelines on anime production contracts, pushing for more governance in the anime industry as the country seeks to triple anime exports to ¥6 trillion by 2033. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Antitrust regulator sets guidelines for anime contracts

Plus: Toys with anime and IP ties dominate Japan; TV Asahi pushes 'Doraemon' into new markets; China faces disruptions in animation boom; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 17/06/2026

Kodansha will start localizing and publishing manga in India this autumn in a joint venture with Dai Nippon Printing, aiming to reduce piracy by printing in the country to keep costs and manga retail prices low. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Kodansha sets up manga publishing in India

Plus: Disney+ adds more anime episodes in France; Japan considers abolishing Cool Japan Fund; Talent agency seeks AI transformation in voice actor work; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 10/06/2026

Crunchyroll invested in more anime production committees than any other company, Japanese or otherwise, in 2024–2025, allowing it to secure streaming rights without needing to bid, plus earn a share of anime production profits. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Crunchyroll ramps up production committee participation

Plus: British-turned-Japanese children's literature series gets anime; Activist investor seeks Kadokawa CEO removal; Manga sales slip at Japan's book distributors; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 03/06/2026

Anime studios specializing in 3D CG are finding it harder to ignore AI in their production workflow as San Francisco-based Autodesk moves to quickly embed AI tools in 3D animation software like 3ds Max and Maya. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

AI tools enter CG anime production workflows

Plus: Shin-Ei Animation looks to YouTube for IP development; Anti-piracy group hardens stance on generative AI; Magazine for essay manga ends print run; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 27/05/2026

Rising printing costs in Japan have pushed the average price of a manga volume up by 24% since 2020, and war in Iran is now driving up the cost of naphtha, a key petroleum product used in making ink and manga's glossy dust jackets. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Iran war sends price shock in manga industry

Plus: Streaming video service U-NEXT acquires anime studio GoHands; Itochu invests in San Francisco character licensing agency; Betting on Crunchyroll Anime Awards; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 20/05/2026

Indonesia has a growing comics scene, but locally made comics hold just 10 percent of the domestic market, and creators are struggling to get readers to care amid a sea of manga from Japan. Read this story by Jakarta-based correspondent Yohana Belinda.

news.animenomics.com

Indonesian comics grow, but market struggles

Indonesia has a comics scene of its own, but getting local readers to care amid a sea of manga from Japan is the real fight

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 13/05/2026

Growing scrutiny of anime's production committee system by regulators is generating renewed interest among the public and Japanese news media in anime studios that are building alternative business models to retain ownership over works. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Public interest in anime production committees grows

Plus: Genda stumbles in North America arcade expansion; Crunchyroll subscription growth accelerates; Toho takes control of IP promotion; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 08/05/2026

Crunchyroll has more than 21 million paid subscribers worldwide as of March, Sony reported in its year-end earnings presentation today. The streaming platform started its paid subscription service in 2009 after it struck its first anime licensing deal with TV Tokyo.

Area chart showing the growth in the number of paying customers on Crunchyroll's anime subscription video on demand platform and its legacy predecessors from 2009 to 2026. Prior to 2022, the area chart is split into two separate categories for the legacy Funimation platform and the legacy Crunchyroll platform. As of March 2026, Crunchyroll has more than 21 million paid subscribers worldwide. Chart was created by Animenomics, with data sourced from Crunchyroll and Sony Group investor relations materials.

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 06/05/2026

Japan's largest fashion trade show, Fashion World Tokyo, will create an IP × Fashion Zone on its show floor space as anime collaborations with fashion and cosmetics brands targeting Gen Z and Millennial consumers continue to increase. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Tokyo fashion expo welcomes anime apparel

Plus: Anime rightsholders sidestep licensing agents; Studio chairman advocates for fewer anime; Cosmetics firm retracts AI anime from advertising; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 01/05/2026

Adidas is the latest company choosing to leverage independently made anime-style imagery to promote its products versus licensing properties from Japan's anime rightsholders, an approach that's increasingly viable for global legacy brands. Read this feature story by editor Richardson Handjaja.

news.animenomics.com

Adidas tries out a sports–anime crossover

Collaboration with Hong Kong fashion brand Clot introduces anime-style visuals to create brand narrative for new product collection

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 29/04/2026

Kadokawa has formed a new subsidiary to oversee its manga retail operations in the United States, two and a half years after the publisher launched a marketing push in North America and began opening a chain of Manga Spot stores. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Kadokawa commits to U.S. manga retail venture

Plus: Broadcasters experiment with merchandise-driven short anime projects; 'Gundam' film raises Guns N' Roses profile; Gov't seeks to avoid overregulation in anime; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 22/04/2026

Bandai Namco and Plott, a Tokyo-based startup that produces short anime for YouTube, will test whether the format can be used to launch new shonen media mix properties that will grow into a new merchandising engine. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Bandai Namco ventures into short anime IPs

Plus: Yoyogi Animation evolves into integrated anime talent incubator; Bushiroad secures bank loans for IP development; Media Do bets on print manga overseas; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 15/04/2026

Permanent, full-time employment arrangements are growing at Japanese anime studios, over a decade of labor surveys found, challenging an oft-repeated narrative that the anime industry relies mostly on freelance animators. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Anime employment shifts to full-time positions

Plus: Consumption tax reform sees limited anime labor impact; Toho posts record sales and net profit; Bandai Namco launches 'The Idolmaster' English marketing; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 08/04/2026

Attendance at the annual AnimeJapan trade exhibition reached a new record this year as anime viewership continues to grow worldwide, but it's unclear whether the event can keep its momentum amid a planned move to Osaka for 2027–2028. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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AnimeJapan sets records as anime fervor grows

Plus: Ministry raises subsidies for high-risk anime projects; Activist investor buys up shares in Kadokawa; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 01/04/2026

In 2025, online content piracy cost Japan's entertainment industry a staggering ¥5.7 trillion (US$36 billion) in lost revenue, a crisis driven by limits on access to manga, anime, and other media. Read this story by Jakarta-based correspondent Yohana Belinda.

news.animenomics.com

Access limits fuel manga piracy worldwide

Legions of readers are just a click away from pirated manga, fueling a global black market that shows no signs of slowing

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 25/03/2026

Japan's small and medium anime merchandise retailers, facing stagnation at home due to a declining population, are turning to cross-border e-commerce providers like Beenos to reach new customers abroad. Read this story by Animenomics editor Richardson Handjaja.

news.animenomics.com

Cross-border e-commerce fills gap in overseas anime market

Japan's top proxy purchasing service provider helps small and medium anime merchandise sellers reach overseas customers

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 18/03/2026

Original anime films are incubators of new talent, but rising production costs and changing audience viewing behavior are tipping the anime film market toward franchise films and making original productions riskier for investors. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Original anime films feel the box office pinch

Plus: Kadokawa ramps up in-house manga translations; Webtoon Entertainment discloses creator revenue share; Japan invests in Saudi manga artist pipeline; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 11/03/2026

Japan's anime home video sales and rentals plummeted 31 percent in 2025 to ¥18.7 billion (US$118 million), one of the steepest declines on record, amid an accelerating shift in domestic anime consumption to streaming video. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

Anime home video sales plummet in streaming shift

Plus: Osaka broadcaster plans US$50m anime investment; Kadokawa recruits light novel writers abroad; Digital restoration revitalizes popular folklore anime; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 04/03/2026

Japan's anime rightsholders are shifting away from film distributors like Toho and Shochiku and building their own systems for distributing anime films domestically to retain a bigger share of box office earnings. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Anime producers ramp up domestic direct film distribution

Plus: Media Do buys LA-based manga publisher Seven Seas; Twin Engine acquires anime studio Nut; CyberAgent finds success in 'Jujutsu Kaisen' game; and more

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Richardson Handjaja @rhandjaja.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

For @icv2.com's manga week coverage this year, I explain the numbers behind Japan's shrinking domestic manga market, plus their implications on Japanese publishers' and U.S. comics retailers' businesses for the year ahead.

Manga Week: Japan Manga Market Struggles as Digital Sales Stall

Column by Richardson Handjaja

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 25/02/2026

Japan's domestic manga market shrank by 1.7% in 2025, the first decline in eight years, amid stalling digital sales growth and an accelerating tumble in print sales. Full-year sales were estimated at ¥693 billion (US$4.4 billion). Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Japan manga market shrinks as digital sales stall

Plus: Netflix takes anime film to cinemas; Kinokuniya USA scouts new store locations; Digital manga market shifts to non-paying readers; Ibaraki recruits anime studios; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 18/02/2026

TV Asahi plans to double its anime production capacity by 2030 as the commercial broadcaster best known for classic titles like Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan seeks to transform into a business that focuses on IP creation. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

news.animenomics.com

TV Asahi aims to double anime production

Plus: Anime creators slam ByteDance's AI video generator; Licensing veteran named Aniplex president; TO Books eyes North American expansion; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 11/02/2026

Sony Music Entertainment Japan has named Aniplex president Atsuhiro Iwakami as its incoming president and chief executive officer, a sign of the anime production planning company's growing influence in the Sony Music Group. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Aniplex chief appointed next Sony Music CEO

Plus: Andreessen Horowitz leads anime AI companion investment; Toho is Fuji Media's largest shareholder again; Bandai Namco sees record 'Gundam' sales; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 04/02/2026

Sales of counterfeit anime and other character products caused US$30 billion in estimated financial damages in 2025. It was the first measure of the impact of piracy on the market for Japanese entertainment merchandise. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Counterfeit anime merchandise cause US$30b in damages

Plus: AI startup to speed up anime merchandise approvals; Aniplex acquires Egg Firm anime production planning company; Permanent ‘Sailor Moon’ stage musical to debut; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 28/01/2026

Japan sales of print manga volumes in 2025 saw their biggest drop since 2022. Digital manga also had its slowest growth rate on record in the second half, a sign that digital manga's growth is coming to an end sooner rather than later. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Sharp slowdown in Japan digital manga sales

Plus: Japan Foundation promotes anime films in Africa; Manga publishers recruit foreign artists; Wine manga's screen adaptation runs into legal barriers in France; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 21/01/2026

Anime films' recent successes in North America are enticing Japanese film distributor Gaga to enter direct distribution of anime films in the region, starting with a movie from the mobile game "Umamusume: Pretty Derby". Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Direct distribution of anime films widens in North America

Plus: Edia ramps up anime production of light novels; MAPPA deepens Netflix partnership; AI manga translations undermine public interest in Japan; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 14/01/2026

Japan's antitrust regulator is preparing guidelines to regulate how anime production committees, studios, and streamers negotiate and share information after an inquiry into labor practices in the industry highlighted structural issues. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Japan antitrust regulator highlights anime industry issues

Plus: Conglomerate invests in French anime co-producer; Light novel publisher TO Books set to IPO; Comici launches English-language manga reading platform; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 07/01/2026

Link-U Technologies, which built digital manga platforms like Shueisha's MANGA Plus and Square Enix's Manga UP!, is pursuing AI-driven manga app development as the digital manga market undergoes a shift in Japan and abroad. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Link-U pursues AI-driven manga app development

Plus: Itochu invests in Taiwan e-commerce service popular with anime merchandise buyers; Magazine House grows manga business; Anime arcade machines at FamilyMart; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 24/12/2025

Toho is elevating its United Kingdom subsidiary into a European regional headquarters, with the film distribution and production giant also buying Glasgow-based anime distributor @alltheanime.com from Embracer Group's Plaion Pictures. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Toho buys UK anime distributor from Embracer

Plus: Overseas anime merchandise licensing contracts jump; Shifts in anime streaming subscription revenues; Genda and Bushiroad enter into an alliance; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 17/12/2025

Japan's US$1.3 billion manga app market stands to benefit from a new law forcing Apple and Google to allow app developers to direct users to external stores in order to pay for purchases, bypassing app store fees that cut into revenue. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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New app store law benefits Japan's manga apps

Plus: Japan faces glut of secondhand anime merchandise; 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' ends China run amid political tensions; Toho touts vertical integration in anime; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 10/12/2025

Warner Bros. has spent the last 20 years investing in anime, including leading production committees for "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" and "Record of Ragnarok", but a possible sale of the company could impact its expansive anime portfolio. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Dozens of anime at stake in Warner Bros. sale

Plus: Sony to issue stablecoins for anime, game payments; Japanese prime minister appeals to Saudi investors; Kadokawa dominates annual light novel rankings; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 08/12/2025

The Japan Times interviewed Animenomics editor @rhandjaja.bsky.social about the implications of the latest political spat between China and Japan on the anime industry.

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 03/12/2025

Japan's user-generated web novel platforms have become a growing source of original stories to be adapted into manga, anime, and film, but their operators are contending with a rise in submitted works that are generated by AI. Read this headline and more in this week's business briefing.

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Web novels, a growing source of anime stories, see rise in AI works

Plus: Mamoru Hosoda film underperforms in box office debut; Kadokawa buys Singapore anime festival organizer; Light anime boost small manga publishers; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 19/11/2025

CyberAgent has designated the head of its anime and IP business division as the company's next chief executive officer, reflecting its shift from digital advertising as a core business to entertainment in the last five years. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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CyberAgent names head of anime as next CEO

Plus: Print manga decline reduces Japanese children's access to manga; Bandai Namco focuses on royalty income; Startup to launch English manga platform in 2026; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 12/11/2025

Kadokawa is writing down the financial value of its nearly ¥3 billion acquisition of anime studio Doga Kobo as the publisher moves to integrate back-office operations and improve profitability across its seven anime studio subsidiaries. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Kadokawa writes down Doga Kobo acquisition

Plus: Anime studio closures at highest level in 7 years; 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' sets sights on China; Web novel platform upstart targets romance readers; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 05/11/2025

Overseas revenues of Japan's anime industry saw the third consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2024, according to the Association of Japanese Animations, but there is concern at home that anime's domestic market is stagnating. Read this and more headlines in this week's business briefing.

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Anime market outside Japan up 26% in 2024

Plus: Toei Animation looks abroad to form new studios; Kodansha forms Hollywood studio; Disney bets on 'Twisted-Wonderland' to draw anime fans; and more

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 30/10/2025

Animenomics has been named as a finalist in the Los Angeles Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. We are nominated for a story published in February about how the end of de minimis duty exemptions affects imports of anime merchandise into the United States.

Animenomics @animenomics.com · 29/10/2025

Japan's new conservative government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has signaled new emphasis on supporting exports of the country's entertainment content, such as anime, manga, and video games. Read this headline and more in this week's business briefing.

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Japan renews focus on anime, manga exports

Plus: Gov't to encourage loans to fund anime, film productions; 'Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc' leads global box office; LINE Manga seeks sports webtoon innovations; and more