Naver Webtoon announced on the 27th that it has launched a Japanese version of its artificial intelligence (AI)-based chat service "Character Chat."
Character Chat is a service that allows users to converse with characters from webtoons, first launched in June 2024. The service is distinguished by chatbots that enable natural conversations while maintaining the worldview of each work, based on data that precisely analyzes characters' personalities, speech patterns, and story information. It is accessible through the "More" menu in the Naver Webtoon Korean app.
Character Chat began service on the 24th of this month under the name "Kyara Chatto" on Naver Webtoon's Japanese service "Line Manga." The initial chatbot offerings include two characters: "Terdeo," the male protagonist from "My In-Laws Are Obsessed With Me," and "Baek Do-hwa," a male character from "Operation True Love."
The "Terdeo" chatbot, which debuted in Korea last April, features a conversation model where attitudes, speech patterns, and terms of address change according to intimacy levels—stimulating users' desire to pursue the character. It became a hit, with paid messages accounting for 52% of usage within one month of launch. The "Baek Do-hwa" chatbot has ranked first among most-used chatbots for three consecutive months.
As of January this year, Character Chat has accumulated approximately 6 million users, with young users comprising 78% of total users in their teens and twenties. The cumulative number of messages exchanged between chatbots and users has exceeded 230 million.
Character Chat has also received high marks for safety. To launch safe chatbots, the company conducts rigorous "bias tests"—a process evaluating AI models for bias—before each chatbot release, only launching when pass rates exceed certain standards.
The company explains that Character Chat also contributes to increased consumption of original webtoon content. For users of the "Seol Hyo-rim" Character Chat from Naver Webtoon's "Star Three Shop," the number of original episodes viewed increased 97% when comparing one week before and after the chatbot's launch. The number of readers increased 29%, paying users increased 22%, and payment amounts increased 44%. For users of the "Love" Character Chat from "99 Reinforced Wooden Club," original episode views increased 77% over the same period, with readers up 20%, paying users up 12%, and payment amounts up 31%.
Kang Su-yeon, AI Planning Leader at Naver Webtoon, said, "Character Chat not only provides new enjoyment for fans of ongoing series but is also a service that strengthens fandoms by enabling continuous communication with characters even during series conclusions or hiatuses." She added, "As this is Character Chat's first global expansion, we will continue to enhance the service to ensure successful establishment in Japan and expand user experience."