Japanese manga and anime, staples of the country’s pop culture, now boast fans all over the world, with the market expanding year by year. There’s an increasing number of companies wishing to collaborate with popular manga. Kodansha, which takes “Inspire Impossible Stories” as its Brand Purpose, has launched a new licensing information site, “Kodansha Licensing Website by C-station,”, to serve as a gateway for these needs.
Japanese manga and anime enjoy global popularity, and especially in recent times, there have been numerous instances of Japanese anime achieving great feats overseas, frequently making the news. Japanese pop culture is in the process of leaping into the mainstream of world culture. The popularity is partly attributed to the widespread availability of streaming services, which have made it easier for people all over the world to access Japanese anime.
Under these circumstances, the market is steadily expanding. According to the “Anime Industry Report 2022” by The Association of Japanese Animations, the market size of Japanese anime in 2021 was over 2.7 trillion yen, more than double the 1.3 trillion yen market in 2011, indicating a rapid expansion in the global market.
As the global market grows, so does the demand for marketing strategies utilizing manga and anime IPs. Works by Kodansha such as “Attack on Titan”, “Blue Lock”, and “Ghost in the Shell” are highly popular, and there is increasing interest in such IP utilization from global companies.
To meet this growing demand, Kodansha launched the official licensing information site “Kodansha Licensing Website”, targeting global companies.
Feature #1 of “Kodansha Licensing Website”: ~ Introductions of Titles in English ~
The site features introductions to Kodansha’s 12 popular works. It provides the titles, summaries of the works, areas/countries where the comic is published, and areas where the anime is broadcasted, and also introduces keywords that have a high affinity with the works.
Feature #2 of “Kodansha Licensing Website”: ~ Past Cases of Manga IP Utilization ~
In addition to introducing titles, the site visually displays examples of advertising promotions and merchandise utilizing Kodansha IPs. Furthermore, under “Past Cases”, not only visuals but also details of notable cases are introduced. This includes the names of collaborating companies and an overview of the initiatives.
Feature #3 of “Kodansha Licensing Website”: ~ Introduction to the Flow of Manga IP Utilization ~
The “FAQ” section addresses 11 frequently asked questions with their answers. It covers various topics such as the flow of manga IP utilization, recommended works, licensing fees, and whether individuals can use licenses, providing answers to a range of queries.
Under its Brand Purpose “Inspire Impossible Stories,” Kodansha aims to contribute to the development of businesses and the solution of challenges through the “Kodansha Licensing Website” and the utilization of manga IP.
You can find more information on the official site here: https://licensing.kodansha.com/
Source: Press Release
