Senpai is an Otokonoko, a LINE MANGA original, is set to receive a TV anime adaptation in collaboration with ANIPLEX, a renowned Japanese production company
- ANIPLEX is collaborating on the TV anime adaptation of the original digital comics by WEBTOON’s Japanese service LINE MANGA
- Achievements of first-generation creators from 'Indies', the creative platform for amateur, based on ‘Manhwa Challenge’ model of Korea
- Since the start of its global expansion, WEBTOON has fostered a digital comics ecosystem that revolves around creators, and has now evolved into a noteworthy IP holder, drawing attention from local producers.
An original digital comic by WEBTOON’s Japanese service LINE MANGA is getting a TV anime adaptation.
LINE Digital Frontier, the operator of LINE MANGA, announced that Senpai is an Otokonoko (先輩はおとこのこ/written and illustrated by Pom) is set to receive a TV anime adaptation in collaboration with ANIPLEX, a renowned Japanese production company.
ANIPLEX, an affiliate of the Sony Music Group in Japan, is a global entertainment company centered on animation. Noteworthy works of ANIPLEX comprise , an animation that was popular all over the world, and , a critically acclaimed video game that has amassed a massive following globally.
The original animation, ‘Senpai is an Otokonoko’, is a first-generation Japanese digital comics discovered via ‘Indies’, a creative space for LINE MANGA amateurs. LINE MANGA has been operating the Indies system since 2015 where anyone can showcase their works through the web, modeled on Naver Webtoon's 'Manhwa Challenge'.
The digital comics ‘Senpai is an Otokonoko’ premiered on Indies in December 2019, and LINE MANGA confirmed the official launch in 16 weeks thanks to the support of Japanese readers. By expanding overseas serialization in Korean, French, and Thai, the cumulative number of views worldwide has reached 180 million views.
Since 2021, it has ranked at the top of the “comics for anime adaptation” category at “Anime Japan” Japan’s foremost animation festival, for two consecutive years, raising expectations also for a potential video adaptation. As the production of the animation was confirmed, ‘Senpai is an Otokonoko’ gained attention as the global IP after three years of serialization on LINE MANGA.
Pom, the author of the webtoon 'Senpai is an Otokonoko', said, "Thanks to LINE MANGA and its readers, the animation production I've been dreaming of has become a reality. Thanks to the accessibility of Indies where the barrier to creation is low, I was able to take on the challenge with ease and meet readers from all over the world.”
An official from WEBTOON said, “From the beginning of overseas expansion, we have been working hard to create an overseas digital comics ecosystem based on the Korean creators’ win-win model. Now, the global creative ecosystem has grown dramatically enough to attract the attention of local producers interested in video adaptation of digital comics.”
WEBTOON's original English title , which won three awards at major American cartoon awards, is currently being adapted into a TV animation by the renowned American production company, The Jim Henson Company, according to WEBTOON. English digital comics is being adapted into a film by Vertigo Entertainment, an American production company. In Southeast Asia, the digital comics ‘Pasutri Gaje (Indonisia)’ and ‘Jainandalanqiu (宅男打籃球, Traditional Chinese)’ are in the process of being adapted into video by a local production company.