What Overlap does

Overlap Holdings, Inc. (株式会社オーバーラップホールディングス) is a Japanese entertainment publisher that develops, produces, and monetizes intellectual property across manga, light novels, anime, games, and merchandise. Founded in November 2011 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market (ticker: 414A) on October 3, 2025, the group operates through two wholly-owned subsidiaries — OVERLAP, Inc. (the core IP, publishing and anime co-production arm) and OVERLAP Plus, Inc. (web comic and mobile app operation). Content is published under nine+ differentiated proprietary labels, including OVERLAP Bunko and OVERLAP Novels (light novels for male teens and adult males respectively), OVERLAP Novels f (women's light novels), Comic Gardo and Comic Qurie (men's and women's comics), LiQulle (BL comics), Love Parfait (translated literature comics), and 888 Comic Essay, covering multiple demographic segments of the Japanese readership.

The company operates a three-pillar business model: IP development (planning and producing manga and novel content with creators, distributed through electronic and print channels), cross-media expansion (TV anime, drama CDs, and live-action drama adaptations via alliances with animation studios and media partners — examples include 'Skeleton Knight Goes Out to the Other Side II' and 'The Goddess with Zero Believers'), and licensing (overseas IP licensing and direct-to-consumer merchandising through the proprietary OVERLAP STORE and the iOS/Android Comic Gardo Plus app). Revenue streams combine one-time book and merchandise sales, co-production participation and licensing fees from anime adaptations, and royalty income from overseas and adjacent IP licensing — including a long-running license from The Pokémon Company producing official game guidebooks and soundtrack CDs (e.g., Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A) since July 2012.

Customers and end-users are fragmented across Japanese consumer demographics — male teens and adult males, female readers, BL fandom, and Pokémon fans — reached through retail and digital distribution plus the company's own e-commerce and mobile app. The group has 86 employees on a consolidated basis (September 2025), with the holding company itself employing 7 as of December 2024. Group structure was formalized under the holding company in May 2022 ahead of the 2025 IPO; senior leadership was restructured in November 2025 with Katsuharu Nagata moving to Chairman and Naoki Harada promoted to President. No revenue figures or AI/ML capability disclosures are present in the available source data.

Name

Overlap

Legal name

株式会社オーバーラップホールディングス

Website

https://hd.over-lap.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Overlap Holdings is a Japanese entertainment publisher that develops manga, light novel, and anime intellectual property through nine+ proprietary labels targeting male, female, and BL readerships, then monetizes via book sales, anime co-productions, overseas licensing, and Pokémon guidebooks and soundtracks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Publishing

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Ancillary & Derivative Rights Licensing (Remakes, Spin-offs, Merchandising) (MPABANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Licensed & Media Tie-In Publishing (MPAJAFAK), Co-Production & Distribution Partnerships (Pre-Sales, Output Deals) (MPABANAI), Sync Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (MPAIALAG)

Keywords

• Manga publishing
• Light novel publishing
• Anime production
• IP licensing
• Cross-media entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Shibuya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IP Development (Novels & Manga): Planning and producing manga and novel content with creators, distributed via electronic and print media through proprietary labels (OVERLAP Bunko, OVERLAP Novels, OVERLAP Novels f, Comic Gardo, LiQulle, Love Parfait, Comic Qurie, 888 Comic Essay, etc.). Revenue from book and digital sales.
2. Cross-Media (Anime, Drama): Adapting manga and novel IPs into TV anime, drama CDs, and live-action dramas through partnerships with media companies. Revenue generated from production participation, licensing fees, and co-production arrangements.
3. Licensing (Overseas & Merchandising): Maximizing secondary-use revenue from IP, particularly through overseas licensing and direct-to-consumer merchandising via the OVERLAP STORE e-commerce platform. Focuses on international market expansion.
4. Pokémon IP Products: Produces and sells licensed products under The Pokémon Company IP, including official game guidebooks and game soundtrack CDs. Revenue from sales of these licensed merchandise products.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

OVERLAP develops and publishes entertainment IP — primarily manga, light novels, and related media — under multiple demographic-focused labels. It expands successful properties through cross-media adaptations (TV anime, drama CDs, live-action) via alliances with production partners, and maximizes revenue through overseas licensing and direct-to-consumer merchandising via the OVERLAP STORE e-commerce platform. The company also produces and sells licensed Pokémon game guidebooks and soundtrack CDs under license from The Pokémon Company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OVERLAP Bunko (オーバーラップ文庫): Light novel label for male teens.
• OVERLAP Novels (オーバーラップノベルス)
• OVERLAP Novels f (オーバーラップノベルスf)
• Comic Gardo (コミックガルド)
• Comic Qurie (コミッククリ エ)
• LiQulle (リキューレ)
• Love Parfait (ラブパルフェ)
• 888 Comic Essay (888コミックエッセイ)
• OVERLAP STORE
• Pokémon (ポケットモンスター)

Products and services

• OVERLAP Bunko (オーバーラップ文庫) Light novel imprint publishing fantasy, romance, and action genre novels primarily targeting male teen readers, distributed via print and electronic media.
• OVERLAP Novels (オーバーラップノベルス) Light novel label targeting adult male readers (20s-30s), expanding the demographic coverage of OVERLAP's novel publishing business.
• OVERLAP Novels f (オーバーラップノベルスf) Light novel label targeting female readers, complementing OVERLAP Novels with content aimed at women's preferences.
• Comic Gardo (コミックガルド) Men's comic label publishing manga content targeted at male readers, including titles that rank highly on platforms such as Piccoma.
• Comic Qurie (コミッククリエ) Women's comic label publishing manga content targeted at female readers.
• LiQulle (リキューレ) BL (Boys' Love) comic label publishing BL manga titles, with multiple works winning BL Award 2026 in the "次に来る" and "ラブコメ" categories. Drama CD adaptations have also been produced.
• Love Parfait (ラブパルフェ) TL (translated literature / translated romance) comic label publishing romance-oriented manga titles targeted at female readers.
• 888 Comic Essay (888コミックエッセイ) Comic essay (888 comic essay) label publishing nonfiction-style comic essays, expanding OVERLAP's content format diversity.
• OVERLAP STORE Proprietary direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform selling manga, novels, branded merchandise, and licensed Pokémon products (guidebooks, soundtrack CDs) to fans, supporting IP monetization and direct fan engagement.
• Comic Gardo Plus (コミックガルドプラス) Mobile App iOS/Android mobile application operated by OVERLAP Plus, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, providing digital reading access to Comic Gardo and related web comic content, established to increase IP value and profitability.
• Pokémon Licensed Products (Official Guidebooks and Soundtrack CDs) Production and sale of official Pokémon game guidebooks and game soundtrack CDs (e.g., Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A soundtrack CD, Pokémon official nationwide encyclopedia 1996-2026) under license from The Pokémon Company, distributed via OVERLAP STORE and retail channels.
• Cross-Media Adaptations (TV Anime, Drama CDs, Live-Action) Adaptation of manga and novel IPs into TV anime (e.g., Skeleton Knight Goes Out to the Other Side II), drama CDs, and live-action dramas in partnership with animation studios and media companies, with revenue from production participation and licensing fees.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• The Pokémon Company (ポケモン)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOVERLAP has a licensing relationship with The Pokémon Company to produce and sell official Pokémon game guidebooks and game soundtrack CDs, including the Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A soundtrack CD. This partnership began in July 2012 with the first strategy guide release.
• Anime and Media Production PartnerskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVERLAP partners with animation studios and media companies to realize TV anime adaptations and other cross-media projects. These alliances enable the company to achieve anime productions that would be difficult to realize independently. Examples include 'Skeleton Knight Goes Out to the Other Side II' (airing July) and 'The Goddess with Zero Believers' (anime adaptation decided).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kodansha: Major Japanese manga, light novel, and magazine publisher with established animation partnerships and international licensing. Comparable business model (multi-label publishing, cross-media expansion, international distribution), though much larger scale.
• Shogakukan: Major Japanese manga and light novel publisher within the Hitotsubashi Group alongside Shueisha. Comparable multi-label publishing + cross-media IP expansion strategy, though with a much larger catalog and broader international footprint.
• Shueisha (Hitotsubashi Group): Publisher of Weekly Sh\u014dnen Jump and major light novel / manga labels. Comparable as a multi-demographic manga and light novel publisher whose IPs fuel anime adaptations and international licensing, though vastly larger and with global hit franchises.
• Kadokawa Corporation: Japan's largest integrated light novel and anime IP conglomerate (ASCII Media Works, Enterbrain, Media Factory, Fujimi Shobo under its umbrella). Directly comparable as a multi-label publisher with extensive anime co-production, merchandising, and international licensing operations, but vastly larger and with owned studios.

Direct peers

• Hobby Japan: Mid-sized Japanese light novel and manga publisher with similar demographic focus (fantasy, BL adjacent, hobby/anime crossover titles) and similar scale tier to OVERLAP. Comparable as a smaller multi-label publisher pursuing anime co-production and merchandising.
• Tokuma Shoten: Japanese publisher with manga, light novel, and anime-adjacent operations, including Comiket / anime merchandise businesses. Comparable as a mid-sized Japanese publisher with diversified cross-media entertainment activities.
• Kadokawa (Media Factory) \u2014 Cross Media Layer: Light novel and anime-focused imprint historically operating under Kadokawa with strong anime adaptation track record. Comparable to OVERLAP's anime co-production and BL/female vertical, though operating within a much larger parent group.
• SB Creative: Japanese publisher of the GA Bunko light novel label and an active anime co-producer. Comparable as a mid-tier multi-label light novel publisher with cross-media expansion ambitions similar to OVERLAP's Bunko and Novels labels.
• Ichijinsha: Japanese manga and light novel publisher with established BL-focused (Citron) and other demographic labels. Comparable to OVERLAP as a similarly-sized multi-label publisher with a BL/female readership vertical (overlaps with LiQulle).

Others

• Pony Canyon: Japanese anime soundtrack, drama CD, and media production company. Comparable to OVERLAP as a producer/distributor of anime music CDs and related soundtracks (overlap with OVERLAP's Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A soundtrack CD business), though more focused on music and broadcast distribution than IP publishing.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Overlap