redice studio

What redice studio does

Redice Studio (redice.studio.inc.) is a South Korean private webtoon production studio headquartered in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, founded around 2016. The company specializes in adapting web novels into high-quality manhwa (Korean webtoons), with a portfolio that includes Solo Leveling, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Tomb Raider King, Overgeared, and several other ongoing titles. Solo Leveling is the standout franchise, with approximately 3.8 million copies sold in Japan through Volume 25 and anime adaptations that broke streaming records on Crunchyroll.

The studio's business model is built on IP licensing royalties across multiple media formats. Redice produces the original webtoon/manhwa content, publishes through major Korean digital platforms (Naver Webtoon, KakaoPage) and Japanese platforms (Piccoma), and licenses the underlying IP to tier-one counterparties for derivative works: A-1 Pictures and Aniplex for anime production, Netmarble Studio for video games (Solo Leveling: Karma), and Netflix for a planned K-drama adaptation. The company also offers localization services (translation, digitization, censorship, marketing) for international markets, and runs co-branded content contests with Naver Webtoon to source new talent.

Revenue concentration on the Solo Leveling franchise is high, but the studio is actively building a second wave of IPs (Overgeared anime with J.C. Staff in October 2026; Tomb Raider King anime with Studio EEK; Solo Leveling: Ragnarok sequel series). There is no public funding, revenue, or headcount disclosure, and no evidence of AI/ML capabilities in the current product or technology stack — competitive differentiation rests entirely on IP quality, creative talent, and distribution relationships.

Name

redice studio

Legal name

redice.studio.inc.

Website

https://red-ice.me

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Redice Studio is a South Korean private webtoon production studio that adapts web novels into hit manhwa franchises — most notably Solo Leveling — and licenses the IP globally to anime studios (A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, J.C. Staff), game developers (Netmarble), and streaming platforms (Netflix, Crunchyroll) for multi-format exploitation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Webtoon Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)

Keywords

• Webtoon production
• Manhwa publishing
• Digital comics
• IP licensing
• Content adaptation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bucheon

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Webtoon Publishing and Licensing: Production and publishing of manhwa/webtoon content on platforms like Naver Webtoon and KakaoPage, generating revenue through serialization and licensing agreements.
2. IP Licensing for Anime: Licensing of webtoon IP to anime studios (A-1 Pictures, Aniplex) for anime adaptation production, generating licensing fees androyalties.
3. Game IP Licensing: Licensing webtoon franchises for video game adaptation, such as Solo Leveling: Karma by Netmarble Studio.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Redice Studio is a South Korean webtoon production company that creates, publishes, and distributes manhwa content both online and offline. The studio produces original webtoons and adaptations of web novels, and licenses its intellectual property to anime studios (A-1 Pictures, J.C. Staff), game developers (Netmarble), and streaming platforms (Crunchyroll, Netflix) for adaptation into anime, video games, and drama series. The studio also offers content production and localization services for international markets.

Product overview

Redice Studio is a South Korean webtoon studio that creates, produces, publishes, and distributes webtoons, comics, and multimedia content. The company operates as a webtoon studio producing various manhwa series, including flagship titles like Solo Leveling (나 혼자만 레벨업), Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (전지적 독자시점), Tomb Raider King (도굴왕), Overgeared, and other series. The portfolio includes both original works and adaptations from web novels. The company also provides localization services for international markets and content production services. Distribution is handled through major platforms including Naver Webtoon and Kakao Page.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solo Leveling (나 혼자만 레벨업) A South Korean manhwa series adapted from Chugong's web novel, featuring Sung Jinwoo as a hunter who can level up alone. One of the most successful webtoon franchises globally, with approximately 3.8 million sales in Japan and anime adaptations on Crunchyroll.
• Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (전지적 독자시점)
• Tomb Raider King (도굴왕) A webtoon series adapted from the web novel by Sanji Jiksong, produced by Redice Studio. Features a protagonist who raids tombs and dungeons for treasures. An anime adaptation is in production by Studio EEK.
• Return of the Disaster-class Hero (재앙급 영웅님이 귀환하셨다) A webtoon series produced by Redice Studio, with story by author Lee Beom-geun and art by Sanji Jiksong.
• The Great Mage Who Returns After 4000 Years (4000년 만에 귀환한 대마도사) A webtoon produced by Redice Studio, written by Kim Deok-yong and illustrated by Nakhasan.
• Level Up But I'm a Newbie (나 혼자 만렙 뉴비) A webtoon produced by Redice Studio, with story by Swingbat and art by MesoLow.
• Space Dandy (스페이스 댄디) A webtoon produced by Redice Studio.
• World After Destruction (멸망 이후의 세계) A webtoon produced by Redice Studio.
• Overgeared A South Korean manhwa series being adapted into anime by J.C. Staff for October 2026 release. The original is connected to the shared universe with Solo Leveling.
• Solo Leveling: Ragnarok Sequel/spinoff to the original Solo Leveling series, continuing the franchise with new story content. Distributed on KakaoPage.
• Content Production Services Film and comic content production and distribution services, with online and offline deployment capability. Offered by Redice Studio as part of its business operations.
• Localization Services Translation, digitization, censorship handling, and marketing services for film, comic, webtoon, and multimedia content intended for international markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Solo Leveling achieved 3.8 million sales in Japan
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• D&C MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Investment report confirming Solo Leveling Season 3 in production. D&C Media holds stake in Redice Studio content.
• Studio EEKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Producing Tomb Raider King anime, described as spiritual successor to Solo Leveling. Both series originate from Redice Studio.
• J.C. StaffcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Anime studio producing Overgeared adaptation scheduled for October 2026 release.
• A-1 PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Anime studio producing Solo Leveling anime adaptations. Season 3 targeted for 2027-2028 release. Production partnership with Aniplex for distribution.
• AniplexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Anime production and distribution company co-producing Solo Leveling anime with A-1 Pictures for 2027-2028 release.
• Netmarble StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Developing Solo Leveling: Karma video game based on the popular webtoon franchise.
• Bucheon City & Jinhyang GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Intellectual property usage agreement for displaying comic character imagery at Jungdong IC in Bucheon.
• NetmarbleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024RF Online IP web novel 'Bad Born Blood' being adapted to webtoon by Redice Studio.
• Naver WebtooncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021Joint content contests (2021 Content Contest, 2022 All Webtoon Contest) and ongoing content distribution partnership for Redice Studio webtoons.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Aniplex: Japanese anime production and distribution company co-producing Solo Leveling anime with A-1 Pictures for 2027-2028. A larger incumbent with a broader anime catalog but overlapping role in monetizing Redice's flagship IP through anime licensing and global streaming distribution.
• NHN Entertainment: Korean digital content and platform company with webtoon, gaming, and payment businesses. A broader incumbent operating adjacent platform and content services that compete for similar Korean digital content budgets and creator pipelines.
• Hive Media Corp: Korean entertainment holding with digital content and IP licensing operations. Comparable as a mid-sized Korean entertainment operator pursuing cross-format IP monetization, though with a broader portfolio scope than Redice's webtoon-centric focus.
• Kadokawa: Japanese publisher and anime producer that brought Solo Leveling to Japan in 2019 and has driven its Japanese manga sales to ~3.8 million copies. A broader incumbent operating across publishing, anime, and games, comparable in its IP-to-multi-format strategy though at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Kakao Entertainment: Operates KakaoPage, Redice's other primary Korean distribution platform, and runs Piccoma in Japan. A leading Korean digital content company in webtoons, drama, and music with directly comparable IP-to-multi-format capabilities.
• Lezhin Entertainment: Korean webtoon platform and publisher operating its own original/manhwa IP business. Directly comparable as a Korean webtoon-first company with both platform distribution and original content production capabilities serving similar creator and reader segments.
• Webtoon Entertainment: Parent of Naver Webtoon, the largest global webtoon platform and a primary distribution and contest partner of Redice Studio. Directly comparable as a Korean-origin webtoon ecosystem with platform, studio, and international distribution functions.
• Tapas Media: US-headquartered webtoon/webcomic platform with Korean-owned origins (Kakao). Comparable as a cross-border webtoon platform pursuing the same serialized digital comic-to-IP model as Redice, though focused more on English-language creators and readers.
• D&C Media: Korean manhwa publisher and confirmed strategic partner/investor in Redice Studio content. Operates a comparable webtoon/manhwa publishing and IP licensing business and is one of the few Korean peers with a disclosed stake in Redice's Solo Leveling pipeline.

Others

• J.C. Staff: Japanese anime studio producing the Overgeared anime adaptation for October 2026 release. Adjacent rather than competing — J.C. Staff is a production partner that monetizes Redice's IP rather than owning or competing for it, but is materially relevant as a counterpart in Redice's multi-format strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about redice studio