Naver Webtoon is launching a Japanese version of its artificial intelligence-based chat service, Character Chat, as it targets global fan communities.

On Feb. 27, Naver Webtoon said it began offering the Character Chat service on the Japanese-language platform Line Manga from Feb. 24 under the name Kyara Chato.

Character Chat is a service that provides chatbots capable of natural conversations based on data that precisely analyses webtoon characters' personalities, speech patterns and work information. It was first introduced in a Korean-language application in June 2024 and is receiving a positive response from loyal readers.

The initial chatbots offered on Japan's Line Manga are 2 types: the male lead Terdeo from "My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me" and the male character Baek Dohwa from "Operation: True Love". Terdeo, which debuted in South Korea in April last year, recorded a 52 percent share of paid messages within a month of launch as its conversation model stimulated users' desire to pursue. Baek Dohwa is also ranking first as the most-used chatbot for 3 consecutive months.

As of January, Character Chat had about 6 million cumulative visitors. Users in their teens and 20s account for 78 percent of the total. The cumulative number of messages exchanged between the chatbot and users has exceeded 230 million.

Kang Su-yeon (강수연), Naver Webtoon's AI planning leader, said, "Character Chat is a service that not only provides new enjoyment to fans of currently serialised works but also strengthens fandom by enabling continued communication with characters even after a series ends or during a hiatus." She added, "As Character Chat's first global expansion, we will continue to upgrade it to help the Japanese-language service take hold and to expand the user experience."