Print Content: Fan Base and Webtoon Bandwagon

print content: The past several years have seen these South Korean web comics make forays into Japan, where they have quickly carved out a fan base among digital native youth who are increasingly shunning the traditional print formats in favor of titles read on apps. ; This changing landscape begs the question Should Japanese manga publishers, who have for years invested first and foremost in developing print content, jump on the webtoon bandwagon to strengthen their outreach to a foreign, tech-savvy audience Opinions among industry insiders and experts are mixed, but at least for Hideki Egami, a former editor at leading publisher Shogakukan, the answer is a definitive yes, according to The Japan Times. Sales for comic magazines in Japan have long been trending downward we don't know how much further the domestic market for print manga will shrink, Egami said. Emerging as a threat is the growing popularity in Asia of the South Korea-born web comics collectively known as webtoons a portmanteau of web and cartoons that experts say are overshadowing the global presence of manga. Japanese publishers are now at a stage where they can't overlook the need for going digital and overseas. Vertically optimized True Beauty,' a hit South Korean webtoon' depicting the life of a nerd who becomes the prettiest girl in school after mastering the art of makeup application, is fast attracting fans in Japan. Webtoons, I think, are the most reasonable way forward. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.