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Kadokawa Collaborates with Kakao Piccoma to Launch Manga BAR E-Manga Magazine

Kadokawa announced on Wednesday that it is entering a business alliance with kakao piccoma, the Japanese subsidiary of kakao, to release the "Manga BAR" e-manga magazine. The magazine launched on Monday on the piccoma app and its official website.

The list of titles slated for serialization in the magazine include:

• Eternal 14-year-old's Kaisei no Ribelial (Reborn Rebelial)
• Renga Kijima's Stella Testa Rossa
• Kotoko and Minori Amanatsu's Usotsuki Heika ga Watashi ni Shūjakusuru Riyū (Why is His Lying Majesty Obsessed With Me?)
• Yoruka's Yokohama Outsiders
• Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu's Kumagurashi
• Kobashiko's CMYK Kazuo Sameda wa Chūnibyō ga Naosenai (CMYK Kazuo Sameda Can't Cure His Chūnibyō)
• Kotoko and Momoyama's Kōshaku-ke no Aisare Nise Yōjo (The Beloved Fake Litlte Girl of the Duke Family)

Kadokawa's editorial department will be responsible for the manga content for the magazine, with comics aimed at a wide market for men, women, and young people.

kakao piccoma will also launch the zeromaga service on the piccoma app, which allows users to view the latest updates for stories.

Kadokawa stated the move is part of its plan to reach net sales of 340 billion yen (about US$2.2 billion) and an operating profit of 34 billion yen (about US$221 million) in the end of fiscal year 2028. To accomplish this, it aims to own over 7,000 IPs, beginning with the expansion of properties through the e-book publication market. Kadokawa reports net sales in the company's e-book publication business have increased 15.3％ annually over the past five years.

kakao Piccoma launched the e-comic and e-novel service Piccoma in April 2016, which allows users to read one episode of a series for free daily. The app boasts over 10 million users monthly and 45 million downloads.

The two companies have collaborated in the past, such as with the exclusive release of Kadokawa titles on the platform.

Sources: Kadokawa, Kakao Piccoma