Anime
Korea Fair Trade Commission Launches Probe into Webtoon, Web Novel Industry Practices – News
Commission plans to survey more than 100 companies including major domestic platforms, content providers
© Fair Trade Comission
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has launched a full-scale investigation into the revenue structures and business practices of the webtoon and web novel industry, aiming to address long-standing concerns over unfair contracts and profit distribution.
According to reporting from Korean online media outlet edaily on May 4, the regulator recently began a fact-finding study examining transactions across the ecosystem, including platforms, content providers (CPs), and creators. The probe will assess whether certain practices violate relevant laws, including the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act and the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions.
Key areas under review include revenue-sharing (RS) models, minimum guarantee (MG) payment structures, and rights to secondary works.
Revenue-sharing arrangements — in which platforms, CPs, and creators split earnings — have faced criticism for lack of transparency. Industry insiders have raised concerns that as revenue passes through multiple intermediaries, the portion ultimately reaching creators can be significantly reduced.
Minimum guarantees, or upfront payments made regardless of a work’s performance, are also a major point of contention. In many cases, these payments are later recouped from future earnings, meaning creators of underperforming titles may see little to no additional income for extended periods.
The commission will also examine how rights to secondary adaptations — such as films, dramas, and games — are structured. Critics argue that broad or long-term rights claims by platforms or CPs may excessively limit creators’ control over their intellectual property and downstream revenue opportunities.
To conduct the study, the commission plans to survey more than 100 companies, including major domestic platforms and content providers. The investigation will also include in-depth interviews and expert consultations, covering topics such as revenue models, market share dynamics, competition for hit content, and broader industry structure.
Observers say the move reflects the commission’s broader effort to expand oversight of power imbalances in platform-based industries into the content sector. Given the scope of the investigation — which includes both contractual practices and market structure — the findings could lead to regulatory reforms or formal enforcement actions.
Last year, the KFTC reviewed the standard contract terms of 23 content providers and found 1,112 unfair provisions across 141 contract templates, and ordered the companies to revise them.
Japan’s Fair Trade Commission also surveyed the anime industry last year, and released a report in December highlighting the transactional and contractual issues facing the industry.
Source: edaily (Shin-woo Kang)
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© 2026 Kodansha USA Publishing., Akane Shimizu
The November issue of Kodansha‘s Shonen Sirius magazine announced on Friday that Akane Shimizu‘s Cells at Work! manga will get a new spinoff manga by Koma Warita and Kawede Sakaki titled Hataraku Saibō Dental (Cells at Work! Dental) in the next issue on October 26.
The new battleground for the series is the inside of the mouth, which hides its own secrets.
Choko Aozora and Meku Kaire ended the Cells at Work! Cat manga on March 26. The manga’s fifth and final compiled book volume shipped on May 8. Aozora and Kaire launched the spinoff manga of Akane Shimizu‘s Cells at Work! manga in Monthly Shonen Sirius in May 2023. Kodansha USA Publishing has licensed the manga, and published the first volume in English on September 22.
Shimizu launched the original Cells at Work! manga in the March 2015 issue of Kodansha‘s Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine, and ended it in January 2021.
Kodansha USA Publishing is releasing the main Cells at Work! manga in English, and is also releasing the following spinoff manga and books: Cells at Work: Bacteria!, Cells at Work!: Neo Bacteria!, Cells at Work! White Brigade, Cells at Work! Baby, Cells NOT at Work!, Cells at Work! Code Black, Cells at Work and Friends!, Cells at Work: Platelets!, Cells at Work! Lady, and Cells at Work! Picture Books.
Source: Shonen Sirius November issue
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Series entered hiatus after 100th chapter in May
© Youichi Takanashi, Shueisha
The official X (formerly Twitter) account for Yōichi Takahashi‘s Captain Tsubasa franchise announced on Monday that the Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun Finals manga will resume serialization on October 6, with new chapters on Tuesdays.
The series entered a hiatus after its 100th chapter in May.
The series launched on the new Captain Tsubasa World website in July 2024 in the form of storyboards.
The 20th and final compiled book volume of Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun and the third and final volume of Captain Tsubasa Memories 4: Saikyō! Meiwa FC Densetsu both shipped simultaneously in June 2024.
Takahashi announced his retirement from serializing his long-running manga franchise in 2024. The Captain Tsubasa Magazine magazine’s issue that released in April 2024 was the last one. The 20th and final issue of the magazine featured the final chapters of the Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun The Final and Captain Tsubasa Memories 4: Saikyō! Meiwa FC Densetsu manga.
Takahashi’s original 37-volume Captain Tsubasa manga ran in Shueisha‘s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1981 to 1988, and it inspired four television anime series, four anime films, several OVAs, and a stage play. The manga is available in about 20 countries.
The original soccer manga revolves around 11-year-old Tsubasa Ōzora, a boy who loves soccer and is recognized by his coach Roberto due to his skill of the sport. Tsubasa goes with his coach to Brazil in order to train for the World Cup.
Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun revolves around Tsubasa as he aims to participate in the Olympics as a representative from Japan. Takahashi launched the manga in Shueisha‘s Grand Jump magazine in December 2013. The manga then moved to Captain Tsubasa Magazine, Grand Jump‘s spinoff magazine that focuses on the franchise, when it launched in April 2020.
Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun The Final, the “final saga” of the overall Captain Tsubasa series, launched in the magazine’s 16th issue in April 2023. The manga is a new arc and renaming of the Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun manga.
Source: Captain Tsubasa World’s X/Twitter account
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Paramount Pictures started streaming a new trailer for Legendary Entertainment‘s live-action film of CAPCOM‘s Street Fighter game series on Monday, focusing on Ken and Ryu’s relationship and rivalry.
© 2026 Paramount Pictures
The film will open on October 16.
Paramount Pictures describes the story:
Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!
The cast includes:
Paramount Pictures and Legendary signed a multi-year distribution deal in December, with Paramount Pictures distributing Legendary Entertainment films worldwide except China (Legendary East handles distribution in China). Street Fighter will be the first film to be distributed under the new deal. Legendary Entertainment acquired the film and television rights to Street Fighter in April 2023, and will work with CAPCOM on future projects.
Sony Pictures was previously slated to distribute the film. When the film was still slated to be distributed by Sony Pictures, the film was planned to open on March 20, 2026, but Sony removed the film from its release calendar in March 2025.
Kitao Sakurai (The Eric André Show, Bad Trip) is directing the film’s shoot in Australia, which started in August 2025. Brothers Danny and Michael Philippou were initially slated to direct the film, but left the film to focus on making their Bring Her Back film.
The game series inspired a live-action film in 1994 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raúl Juliá, Ming-Na Wen, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, and Wes Studi. Hyde Park Entertainment produced a separate spinoff titled Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li starring Kristin Kreuk in 2009.
Machinima produced the Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist and Street Fighter: Resurrection live-action series. Machinima released the first series on its YouTube channel in May 2014, and Funimation licensed the series for release in North America. Funimation released the series on Blu-ray Disc in October 2014. Machinima released the second series on Verizon’s go90 streaming service in March-April 2016. A Street Fighter: World Warrior television series was originally planned in 2018.
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie adapted CAPCOM‘s video game Super Street Fighter II in 1994. Discotek Media released the film on DVD in December 2015, and on Blu-ray Disc in October 2016. The franchise has also inspired several other anime and animated series.
The Street Fighter 6 fighting game launched in June 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. CAPCOM released the game on Nintendo Switch 2 in June 2025 as a launch title. The Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition version also launched on the same day.
Sources: Email correspondence, Paramount Pictures‘ YouTube channel
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