LINE Manga Celebrates Its 13th Anniversary with a Massive "Favorite Manga General Election"
Celebrating its 13th anniversary since its launch on April 9, 2026, LINE Manga is marking this special milestone with a massive participatory event called the "Oshi Manga General Election." Running from April 9 to April 22, this voting process allows readers to identify their favorite stories under 13 different themes. The event, which is supported by famous actor Shunsuke Kazama and members of the popular music group Bullet Train (Chotokyu) with their own special categories, stands out as one of the platform's most comprehensive user engagement initiatives to date.
The voting system is designed to encourage readers to participate every day. Users can vote in 13 different categories, such as "Manga I'd recommend to my 13-year-old self," "Lines that touch the heart," and "Masterpieces that end in 5 volumes." Users who earn 1 Manga Coin for every vote have the chance to accumulate a total of 182 coins by voting in all categories every day throughout the campaign. Additionally, the excitement of the community is kept alive by distributing 13,000 Manga Coins to 130 people via a raffle and offering various cash prizes to those who share on social media.
Founded in 2013, LINE Manga is now one of the giants of digital publishing in Japan. Operating under the Webtoon Entertainment umbrella, the platform made vertical-format webtoon culture mainstream in Japan, especially after merging with XOY in 2019. Home to hit series like Teenage Mercenary and Tears of a Withered Flower, the platform sits at the top of the Japanese market with over 23 million downloads. The platform's CEO, Masamine Takahashi, emphasizes that digital is no longer just a copy of printed works, and that "born-digital" works are shaping the future of the industry.
Such large-scale voting events are not just a celebration for fans, but also an important data source that determines trends in the industry. The list of "the best," determined by fan votes, often guides publishers on which series will receive anime adaptations or expand into the global market. LINE Manga's 13th-anniversary celebrations once again prove how much community power the digital comic world has reached. The voting results are expected to be announced in early May and are anticipated to influence the platform's new publishing strategies.
