MangaNow Studio Launches New Service to Transform Existing Books into Manga IP

MangaNow Studio, an AI-powered manga and animation production studio operated by IMAKAI Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Daniel Ohtake), has launched a new 'Book-to-Manga Adaptation Service' that restructures existing books and manuscripts into manga content.

The service targets business books, practical guides, novels, educational materials, and corporate publications, reorganizing the original work’s appeal and message into manga-friendly stories, characters, dialogue, and panel layouts.

By integrating AI with professionals such as manga artists, scriptwriters, and directors, the studio provides comprehensive support from planning, scripting, storyboarding, and illustration to editing, digital and print publishing, and promotion.

Book-to-Manga Service Details https://studio.manganow.ai/book-to-manga

Manga accounts for nearly 90% of the e-book market, with AI and Webtoon emerging as the next growth frontier

According to Impress General Research Institute, Japan’s domestic e-book market reached 670.3 billion yen in 2024. Of this, digital comics accounted for 587.8 billion yen, representing 87.7% of the total market.

Webtoon (vertically-scrolling comics), optimized for smartphone viewing, is also expected to grow globally. As per METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), the global Webtoon market is projected to expand from approximately 5 trillion yen in 2021 to around 37 trillion yen by 2028.

In the manga production field, generative AI is increasingly being used in planning, coloring, background creation, translation, and localization. AI-assisted manga production is gaining attention as a key growth area, supporting reduced production burdens, faster turnaround, and multilingual content distribution.

MangaNow Studio transforms books and manuscripts owned by authors, publishers, and corporations into a new entry point—manga—creating connections with readers who were previously unaware of the original works.

※Sources:

Impress General Research Institute, 'E-Book Business Survey Report 2025'

METI, 'Current Status and Action Plan for the Manga and Publishing Industry'

Impress General Research Institute, 'E-Book Business Survey Report 2026'

Key Features of the Book-to-Manga Service

Preserving Original Value While Adapting into Manga Format

Rather than simply adding illustrations to text, the service analyzes the original work’s purpose and target audience, extracting core themes to convey.

The story, characters, dialogue, scene transitions, and panel layouts are redesigned specifically for manga, creating engaging works that are easy to understand and encourage readers to continue.

AI and Professional Collaboration in Production

Production does not rely solely on AI. Professional manga artists, scriptwriters, directors, and editors are involved at every stage.

By combining AI-driven efficiency with human creativity, storytelling ability, and quality control, the studio produces works that respect the original intent and brand image.

Expansion from E-books to Webtoon, Video, and Animation

Completed manga can be used not only as e-books and print books but also on websites, social media, advertisements, sales materials, and educational content.

The studio also supports consultation on future IP development, including multilingual adaptation, Webtoon conversion, and video or animation production.

Copyright and Quality Assurance

The production process confirms copyright holder approval and the scope of secondary usage, with quality control conducted under supervision by professional creators and editors.

The studio ensures respect for original rights and authorial intent, providing a secure and reliable production framework.

Eligible Content Types

The service supports business books, management books, practical guides, self-help books, novels, light novels, educational and training materials, corporate histories, founder stories, brand books, seminar materials, and unpublished manuscripts.

Executive Comment

"Books contain authors’ experiences, knowledge, and stories refined over long periods. Meanwhile, the way audiences engage with content has dramatically shifted, centered around smartphones.

Through this service, we aim to restructure original works while preserving their value, making it easier for new readers to take their first step.

We will support transforming books from one-time products into sustainable IPs that can expand across various media and regions—including e-books, Webtoon, multilingual versions, video, and animation."

About MangaNow Studio

MangaNow Studio is a manga and animation production studio that expands creativity through AI to create new value in storytelling.

By combining AI with professionals such as manga artists, scriptwriters, directors, voice actors, and artists, the studio provides end-to-end support from concept and original creation to illustration, direction, localization, publishing, and promotion.

Official Website: https://studio.manganow.ai/ Service Details: https://studio.manganow.ai/book-to-manga

About IMAKAI Co., Ltd.

Company Name: IMAKAI Co., Ltd. Representative: CEO Daniel Ohtake Founded: January 6, 2023 Headquarters: 2F-C, Shibuya Dogenzaka Tokyu Building, 1-10-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Business: Planning, development, and operation of AI-powered manga and animation services Official Website: https://imakai.co.jp/