Manta (manta.net), a subscription-based digital comics platform, today announced its plan to launch over 10 original series throughout the third quarter of 2023. As part of its ongoing expansion of in-house productions, Manta aims to cement its position as a leading platform with strong and sustainable digital comics production.
The Manta Studios division, a team made up of experienced creators with a proven track record, is responsible for producing original content for Manta. The division has predominantly focused on creating webcomics based on sources including – webnovels owned by Manta’s parent company, RIDI Corporation, and movies licensed, to be adapted into webcomics. These titles have been very popular with Manta subscribers, especially fans of the romance and fantasy genres, having driven total downloads of Manta’s mobile apps to the top 10 million as of March 2023.
Among the most recent series produced by Manta Studios are: The Lady Alchemist, Falling for Danger, and Countdown to Love. The latter two have been fully developed in-house, including original artwork and storylines, with Manta having full ownership of the IP. The Lady Alchemist is based on the original novel by Samantha Vitale.
- Falling for Danger – Premiered on June 26, 2023.
- Hale Windsor was a renowned hitman until he is betrayed and lost the love of his life. With nothing left to live for, he begins a war of revenge on the very organization he used to work for. That is until he meets Marine, a girl who brings color back into his black-and-white existence.
- Countdown to Love – Premieres on July 7, 2023.
- After an ankle injury dashes Hoon’s hopes of becoming a basketball star, he begins to see a timer in the sky. He believes it’s a countdown to the day he dies, until he discovers one day that his classmate Haedam can see it too…
- The Lady Alchemist – Premieres on July 14, 2023
- A steampunk fairytale retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. When a slip of the tongue lands her in prison, Sepha is tasked to transmute the mountains of straw around her into gold. Impossible, or so she thinks until a conniving magician appears with a deal —He’ll turn all the straw into gold, in exchange for her firstborn. With a death sentence over her, what choice does she have?
These three new titles follow the release of fan-favorite titles such as The Blood Moon, Werewolves Going Crazy over Me, and The Superheroes of Class F, which were the first three series developed and produced entirely in-house by Manta Studios’ talented writers and artists, expanding into new genres.
“Manta Studios is the engine at the heart of our success, and we are thrilled to showcase the team’s newest creations and the limitless possibilities,” said Moonseok Jeong, COO and Head of Content at Manta. “We remain committed to creating stories that will resonate with readers around the world, and the continuous expansion of our Studio’s capabilities will play a significant role in further establishing Manta as a leading brand offering top-of-the-line storytelling across multiple genres.”
In addition to the aforementioned titles, Manta is also bringing back its flagship title, Under the Oak Tree, on July 22(09:00 EDT). More details on the other originals will be announced in the coming months.
Manta’s extensive collection of original stories and owned IP have been the source material for adaptation on other entertainment platforms, with webcomics fast establishing themselves as a vibrant source of quality storytelling. Examples of titles that have been popular with millions of fans in the U.S and around the world that have been remade into popular streaming series include Semantic Error and Once Upon a Small Town.
Source: Press Release
