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Original manga born on smartphones are gathering great attention. Many smartphone apps on which original manga are serialized are being released, and the medium is becoming hugely popular for number of downloads as well. Among these, one work has already been announced to be getting a TV anime adaptation. NHN PlayArt, which manages the smartphone comic service Comico, has announced an anime adaptation for the popular Comico gag manga Narudoma. The broadcast will begin this spring.
Comico launched in fall 2013 and offers new manga for free every day. The service’s characteristic is its many up-and-coming, young authors. As of Dec. 31, 2014, the service has 112 works. Also, downloads for the app have surpassed 8 million, making it the leader among manga apps.
Narudoma is a gag manga by Kometokaite Meter that has two main characters: Hagito, an extreme narcissist fascinated by his own reflection, and Kei, a masochist who loves being abused. The series’ concept of “being honest with yourself” evokes sympathy, and the series is also highly ranked on Comico’s popularity ranking.
Manga apps distribute for free many series, and attention has been placed on how to recover costs and make a profit in this way. One such way is by publishing print versions of magazines and manga volumes. An aim is now on increasing sales of print versions of manga volumes as well as ebooks available for a cost. Comico as well has already begun publishing manga volumes of its serialized works. Sales of Volume 1 of the Narudoma manga began on Jan. 23. It is available in bookstores and Lawson locations countrywide as well as on Amazon and other online stores.
As a way to further commercialization, the company is moving forward with character goods and other multilateral developments for its upcoming anime adaptation. This appears to be NHN PlayArt’s strategy for content on Comico. Detailed information on the anime adaptation of Narudoma will be announced at the Comico booth at AnimeJapan 2015 taking place at Tokyo Big Sight on March 20 and 21. Keep your eyes open for more manga and anime to come from NHN Play Art.
Narudoma
Author: Kometokaite Meter
Release Date: Jan. 23, 2015
Price: 694 yen (plus tax)
Specifications: B6 size, full color
Publisher: Kadokawa
© NHN PlayArt Corp.
Source: animeanime
