It's no secret that in the digital age, physical media sales are on a steady decline. While manga volumes still hold their own, weekly and monthly magazines have been hit particularly hard.
Today (Jan 9), KADOKAWA's beloved light novel literary monthly, "Dragon Magazine" (ドラゴンマガジン), dropped the bombshell: its May 2025 issue (hitting shelves in March 2025) will be its last. After a glorious 37-year run, another iconic publication is bowing out, leaving countless fans feeling the sting of nostalgia.
Launched in 1988, "Dragon Magazine" (ドラゴンマガジン) was a launchpad for some of the biggest names in light novels. We're talking classics like "Full Metal Panic!", "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend", "Slayers", "Date A Live", and "High School DxD". More recently, it's been home to hits like "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?", "Spy Classroom", and "Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor".
▼ The 35th-anniversary special issue released in 2023.
The "Dragon Magazine" editorial team laid out their reasoning: "After celebrating our 35th anniversary in 2023, we've keenly felt the shift in reader habits. Simply put, a physical magazine can no longer fully embody the role and mission 'Dragon Magazine' once held. So, we're pivoting! We're excited to offer our media services in a brand-new format and hope you'll all join us on this exciting new challenge!"
KADOKAWA announced on its official website that this spring will see the launch of "メクリメクル" (Mekuri Mekuru), an all-new online magazine for light novel and entertainment novel aficionados. Furthermore, "キミラノ" (Kimirano), their light novel online platform running since 2019, will be migrating to this new media hub, getting a major glow-up in the process.
"メクリメクル" is set to be the ultimate go-to for the latest info and hottest buzz around light novels, character literature, and other entertainment fiction. But it's not stopping there! It'll also dive deep into all the cross-media goodness that springs from these stories – think anime, manga, events, music, and even voice actors. The goal? To forge a comprehensive platform where readers can truly immerse themselves in the entire entertainment universe.
While most Japanese publishers have already pivoted to online platforms for serializing their works, it's a tough gig for monthly print magazines to keep those sales numbers up. So, "Dragon Magazine's" decision to call it a day is totally understandable. Good news though: this doesn't impact any ongoing series! You'll still be able to catch your favorite stories on other platforms down the line.
via： キミラノ 富士見Fantasia文庫官方 X