Lezhin Japan Announces Unexpected Closure in January 2027

Lezhin is shutting down its Japanese arm next year.

Lezhin Japan revealed on July 31 at 8:00 PM PST that it would cease its operation on January 31, 2027, but will be folded into an existing platform called BeLTOON. As translated by redbeanjelly, Lezhin Japan has decided that merging with BeLTOON will “bring more comprehensive content and services to provide [readers] with an even richer and more satisfying experience.” The full notice can be read below.

Here is the timeline for the migration (credit to redbeanjelly for their translation):

• Users can migrate their account to BeLTOON but once they do, they no longer have access to their Lezhin account. Migration applications will open in October
• Users can start requesting their account to be migrated in October 2026 where purchased works and points will then be transferred to BeLTOON. This also seems to imply that those who do not request a migration will see their account terminated in January 2027 as the migration will not automatically move from Lezhin Japan to BeLTOON
• New subscription ends in August with auto renewals ending in July
• Points purchased by July 31 2026 are valid for 180 days. There will be no refunds
• Points can also be transferred to BeLTOON within their original validity period and must be used within that period
• After the shutdown in January 2027, users will no longer be able to access their Lezhin library with their rights to view purchased content expiring
• Users cannot download or save their purchased works in Lezhin Japan. If users apply for account migration, they will be able to use their purchased works and points. A notice about which works will not be on BeLTOON will be posted at a later date

Advertised as a manga app for women, BeLTOON is owned by Lezhin Entertainment and was launched in August 2022. Lezhin Comics Japan was launched in 2015, two years after the Korean platform. The difference between the two, despite them being owned by the same company, is that BeLTOON has more genres that cater to women whereas Lezhin Comics Japan supposedly catered to both men and women.

The closure of Lezhin Japan and the uncertainty of which works will be made available on BeLTOON hurts both readers and creators. For readers, it’ll mean the possible loss of some works due to publishers and creators’ contracts, which will mean readers will have to purchase the work on another platform, if it is available, or wait for another platform to license it. For creators, the onus will now be on them and their publishers to scramble to find another platform and write up another contract for their title to be read on that platform, which means it’ll be a loss of income for them during that time.

Lezhin Japan will terminate its services on January 31, 2027.

Source: Lezhin Japan