Monthly Afternoon

History

The magazine was founded as a sister to Morning by the same publisher. According to Frederik L. Schodt, stories that did not convince the editors of Morning would often land in Afternoon.

Many of the artists working for the magazine used to publish amateur ja and were influenced by ja amateur manga. Sharon Kinsella claims that around half of all series featured in Afternoon between 1994 and 1997 were inspired by ja aesthetics. She lists Discommunication, Gunsmith Cats, Assembler 0X, Seraphic Feather, Aqua and Oh! My Goddess as examples.

From 1999 until 2002, Afternoon Season Zōkan was published as a quarterly spin-off magazine to Afternoon. After the magazine was suspended, some of its series, like Mushishi and Mokke, were transferred to Afternoon.

Newcomer award

Since 1987, the magazine hands out the newcomer award Afternoon Shiki Shō. In 2000, Kodansha published a selection of winners of the award in a book.

Circulation and demographic

Like with most major manga magazines, the magazine's circulation has been declining since the 1990s:

• 2004: 144.500
• 2005: 133.800
• 2006: 127.400
• 2007: 119.666
• 2016: 69.310

In the late 1990s, the magazine's editors guessed that about a third of the readers of the magazine could be called ja.

Features

Ongoing

There are currently 33 manga titles being serialized in Monthly Afternoon. Out of them, Historie, Wandering Island and Yakuza Fiancé are on hiatus. Nella of the Horizon is serialized on an irregular schedule.

Past

1980s

• Oh My Goddess! by Kōsuke Fujishima (1988–2014)
• by Norifusa Mita (1989)
• Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki (1989–1994) (moved from Morning Open Zōkan)
• Spirit of Wonder by Kenji Tsuruta (1989–1994) (originally serialized in Weekly Morning)

1990s

• Compiler by Kia Asamiya (1990–1992)
• Gunsmith Cats by Kenichi Sonoda (1991–1997)
• Discommunication by Riichi Ueshiba (1991–1999)
• Ice Blade by Tsutomu Takahashi (1992–1999)
• Assembler 0X by Kia Asamiya (1992–1995)
• by Kazuichi Hanawa (1992–1994)
• Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura (1993–2012)
• Seraphic Feather by Yo Morimoto, Toshiya Takeda (story) and Hiroyuki Utatane (art) (1993–2008)
• by Daisuke Igarashi (1994–1996)
• Yugo by Shinji Makari (story) and Akana Shu (art) (1994–2004)
• by Hitoshi Ashinano (1994–2006)
• Wings of Vendemiaire by Mohiro Kitoh (1995–1997)
• Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei (1997–2003)
• by Satoshi Shiki (1997–2003)
• Cannon God Exaxxion by Kenichi Sonoda (1997–2004)
• Eden: It's an Endless World! by Hiroki Endo (1997–2008)
• Shadow Star by Mohiro Kitoh (1998–2003)
• From Kobe by Kon Kimura (1998–2006)
• Uchu Kazoku Carlvinson by Yoshito Asari (1999–2000)

2000s

• Smuggler by Shohei Manabe (2000)
• by Iou Kuroda (2000–2002)
• Yume Tsukai by Riichi Ueshiba (2001–2003)
• Manga Abenobashi Mahō Shōtengai by Kenji Tsuruta (2001–2002)
• LuCu LuCu by Yoshito Asari (2001–2009)
• by Shimoku Kio (2002–2016)
• Little Forest by Daisuke Igarashi (2002–2005)
• by Yuki Urushibara (2002–2008) (moved from Afternoon Season Zōkan)
• by Takatoshi Kumakura (2003–2009) (moved from Afternoon Season Zōkan)
• Shadow Skill by Megumu Okada (2003–2006)
• Love Roma by Minoru Toyoda (2003–2005)
• Tokko by Tooru Fujisawa (2003–2004)
• by Kia Asamiya (2003)
• Me and the Devil Blues by Akira Hiramoto (2003–2008) (transferred to Young Magazine the 3rd)
• Voices of a Distant Star by Makoto Shinkai (original work) and Sumomo Yumeka (2004–2005)
• by Masaru Katori (story) and Jiro Ando (art) (2004–2008)
• Little Jumper by Yuzo Takada (2004–2008)
• Gunsmith Cats Burst by Kenichi Sonoda (2004–2008)
• Shūsen no Lorelei by Harutoshi Fukui (original novel), Takashi Nagasaki and Takayuki Kosai (2005–2007)
• Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo by Mahiro Maeda (2005–2008)
• by Mami Kashiwabara (2005–2011)
• The Place Promised in Our Early Days by Makoto Shinkai (original work) and Sumomo Yumeka (2005–2006)
• Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura (2005–2025)
• Mysterious Girlfriend X by Riichi Ueshiba (2006–2014)
• Nacun by Daisaku Tsuru (2006–2010)
• by Yutaka Tanaka (2006–2009)
• Oh! Edo Rocket by Kazuki Nakashima (original story) and Una Hamana (2007–2009)
• by Hitoshi Ashinano (2007–2013)
• Octave by Haru Akiyama (2008–2011)
• by Shimoku Kio (2008–2010)
• by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2009)
• Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei (2009–2015)
• by Yuki Urushibara (2009–2010)

2010s

• by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2010)
• 5 Centimeters per Second by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Seike Yukiko (art) (2010–2011)
• Bullet the Wizard by Kenichi Sonoda (2010–2012)
• Break of Dawn by Tetsuya Imai (2011)
• by Kenshin Hidekawa (2011–2015)
• by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2012)
• Land of the Lustrous by Haruko Ichikawa (2012–2024)
• by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2012–2013)
• by Ao Akato (2013)
• The Gods Lie by Kaori Ozaki (2013)
• The Garden of Words by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Midori Motohashi (art) (2013)
• Marginal Operation by Yuri Shibamura (story) and Daisuke Kimura (art) (2013–2021)
• Designs by Daisuke Igarashi (2015–2019)
• Black-Box by Tsutomu Takahashi (2015–2019)
• She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Tsubasa Yamaguchi (art) (2016)
• In Hand: Himokura Hakase to Majime na Migiude by Ao Akato (2016)
• Ogami-san Can't Keep It In by Yu Yoshidamaru (2016–2019)
• Atari no Kitchen! by Yuki Shirono (2016–2018)
• I Want to Hold Aono-kun so Badly I Could Die by Umi Shiina (2016–2025)
• Issak by Shinji Makari (story) and Double-S (art) (2017–2025)
• The Golden Sheep by Kaori Ozaki (2017–2019)
• Hashikko Ensemble by Shimoku Kio (2018–2022)
• When a Cat Faces West by Yuki Urushibara (2018–2020)
• Inui to Tatsumi -Siberia Shuppei Hishi- by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (2018–2024)
• Weathering with You by Makoto Shinkai (original work) and Wataru Kubota (2019–2020)
• Aa! Shuukatsu no Megami-sama! by Uhei Aoki (story) and Kumichi Yoshizuki (art) (2019–2021)
• The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji (story) and Hiro Kiyohara (art) (2019–2022)
• Blade of the Immortal - Bakumatsu Arc by Kenji Takigawa (story), Ryū Suenobu (art) and Hiroaki Samura (collaboration) (2019–2024)

2020s

• Tomodachi toshite Daisuki by Mikumi Yuuchi (2020–2021)
• Spotlight by Kaze Miura (2020–2021)
• Mō, Shimasen Kara: Seiun Risshi-hen by Hideo Nishimoto (2020–2023)
• Maō no Kikan by Michi Ichiho (story) and Nori Arashiyama (art) (2021)
• Q, koi tte nan desu ka? by Fiok Lee (2021–2022)
• Sing a Bit of Harmony by Yasuhiro Yoshiura (original story) and Megumu Maeda (art) (2021–2022)
• Bitter End Roll by Shu Sakura (2021–2022)
• by Richard Woo (story) and Seimu Yoshizaki (art) (2022–2023)
• Chaos Game by Daiki Yamazaki (2022–2024)
• Suzume by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Denki Amashima (art) (2022–2023)
• A Kingdom of Quartz by Bomhat (2022–2025)
• Saihate no Serenādo by Hinohiruko (2022–2025)
• Jigoku no Ashita by Yuchi Mikumi (2023–2024)
• Meimeimei Shoku Sanctuary by Seki Ayumu (2023–2024)
• Zach in Love by Nori Arashiyama (2024–2025)

References

References

1. Thompson, Jason. (2007). "Manga: The Complete Guide". Del Rey Books.
2. link. [[Kodansha]]
3. link. Natalie]]. Natasha, Inc.. (November 18, 2008)
4. Schodt, Frederik L.. (1996). "Dreamland Japan : writings on modern manga".
5. Kinsella, Sharon. (2000). "Adult manga : culture and power in contemporary Japanese society".
6. "『アフタヌーン四季賞ＣＨＲＯＮＩＣＬＥ １９８７－２０００ 冬Ｓｅｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ』（漆原 友紀，熊倉 隆敏，木村 紺，篠房 六郎，真鍋 昌平） 製品詳細 講談社コミックプラス".
7. "Magazine circulations in 2004 and 2005".
8. (2007-10-28). "JMPAマガジンデータ".
9. (2008-09-20). "JMPAマガジンデータ".