Piccoma to Launch Short-Form Anime Category in Late May
Piccoma's move into short-form anime with AI-assisted production and episode-based rentals represents a direct challenge to the existing streaming model, testing whether a pay-per-episode system can work for serialized animation.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime News Network.
Piccoma, the Kakao-owned digital comics and novels platform, announced on April 27 that it will introduce a short-form animation category called "ANIME" in late May. The category has entered a pre-launch phase, with early preview events letting select users watch upcoming titles before the official rollout. Branded as "Watch Piccoma," the new section marks the platform's expansion into serialized video content. The animations will be based on works originally published on Piccoma, including manga, webtoons, and web novels. The production process uses AI technology in certain stages while keeping human oversight for creative direction and quality control. Piccoma will adopt an episode-based monetization system similar to its existing content model: users can rent individual episodes or access select content for free through the "Wait Until Free" model, which unlocks episodes after a 23-hour waiting period. Six webtoons will have anime adaptations available at launch: The Viridescent Tiara, The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Swordmaster, Post-Possession Damage Control, Jack Be Invincible, Why Yuria Hid Her Wealth, and Destined to Be an Outcast. The anime are only available within the Piccoma app, but video previews for each title are on Piccoma's website.
Piccoma's press release describes the six anime adaptations as "short-form" content, though it does not specify exact episode lengths or runtimes. The platform's parent company Kakao operates the Tapas digital comics service, where the official English-language versions of all six source webtoons are already available.
The six titles launching with the category span fantasy, action, and comedy genres. The Viridescent Tiara follows a noblewoman who re-enters society after a scandal. The Reincarnated Assassin Is a Swordmaster centers on a hitman reborn in a fantasy world. Post-Possession Damage Control deals with the aftermath of demonic possession. Jack Be Invincible is an action series about an immortal fighter. Why Yuria Hid Her Wealth is a comedy about a woman who conceals her fortune. Destined to Be an Outcast follows a character cast out from their community.
The "Watch Piccoma" branding and the episode-rental model mirror how the platform already sells digital comics chapter by chapter. Piccoma has not announced any plans to bring the anime outside its app or to other streaming services.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Piccoma to Launch Short-Form Anime Category in Late May