A pop-up store dedicated to the popular Naver webtoon “Teenage Mercenary” opened in the heart of Shibuya, Tokyo, on Feb. 7. The store was set up inside Line Friends Square Shibuya, located just a two-minute walk from the Apple Store and one-minute from the PARCO department store. When IPX (formerly Line Friends) opened Line Friends Square Shibuya in June last year, they envisioned it as a space where artists and fans of various works could be showcased.
“I was deeply moved when Line Friends Square opened in the center of Shibuya,” said a Korean man who had lived in Japan for over 20 years. “It’s proof that Korean culture has entered the mainstream in Japan.”
The “Teenage Mercenary” pop-up store, which runs until Feb. 25, is the first official promotional event for the series in Japan. Naver Webtoon plans to strengthen its foothold in the Japanese market by collaborating with IPX, specializing in intellectual property (IP) for characters.
“Teenage Mercenary” follows protagonist Yu Ijin, the sole survivor of a plane crash at the age of eight. He becomes a child mercenary to stay alive and returns home ten years later to be reunited with his family in Korea, where he maneuvers his way around the schoolhouse battleground in his last year of high school.
The series topped the Line Manga popularity rankings in 2023 and 2024. The webtoon surpassed 400 million cumulative views on Line Manga and generated over 100 million yen in monthly transaction value in 2023, setting the highest record for a single work on the platform that year. As of December, the series had amassed over 1.5 billion views globally and has been translated into 10 languages, including Thai, Indonesian, and French.
Visitors to the pop-up store are greeted by an immersive setup designed to transport them into the world of “Teenage Mercenary.” A stairway leading to the basement-level store is decorated like a dense jungle, recreating the training and battle experiences Yu endured as a young mercenary. Before entering the store, guests can watch an exclusive event video featuring an animated version of the webtoon, played on screens covering all four walls.
The pop-up store featured over 100 different merchandise items, including exclusive character illustrations by artist Rak Hyun. The store also displayed life-sized cutouts that accurately depicted the actual heights of Numbers mercenaries.
“We designed this space to fully immerse fans into the world of “Teenage Mercenary,” from the staircase and video experience to the shopping area,” explained Line Friends Product Manager Taiki Tanaka.
The most popular item at the pop-up store was the Random Can Badges, which feature character illustrations in opaque packaging, leaving buyers to discover their selection only after purchase. “Random merchandise is a massive trend in Japan,” Taiki explained. “Fans express their devotion by purchasing multiple products until they get their favorite character.” Other popular products include replica sportswear and student ID cards modeled after the characters’ outfits.
“I was impressed by how well the world of “Teenage Mercenary” was recreated,” said 29-year-old Tamami Asami, who is also a fan of the popular Japanese manga Attack on Titan. “I visited this pop-up store because it had a similar vibe.”
Naver Webtoon plans to expand its presence in Japan through Line Manga. Currently, Line Manga and Kakao Piccoma’s Piccoma platform dominate the Japanese webtoon market. Currently Piccoma is more popular among readers, but Line Manga is working to increase its market share through localization efforts, including operating a dedicated Japanese studio.
