Monthly Afternoon

Monthly Afternoon (月刊アフタヌーン) is a Japanese monthly manga anthology published by Kodansha under the Afternoon line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of January 25, 1986. Afternoon has spawned many successful manga series such as Oh My Goddess!, Genshiken, Blade of the Immortal and Big Windup!. It is part of Kodansha's "1day" series, which also includes the magazines Morning and Evening. A spin-off magazine, named good! Afternoon, started publishing on November 7, 2008.

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 and were influenced by  amateur manga. Sharon Kinsella claims that around half of all series featured in Afternoon between 1994 and 1997 were inspired by aesthetics. She lists Discommunication, Gunsmith Cats, Assembler 0X, Seraphic Feather, Aqua ańd ''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.

Ongoing
There are currently 24 manga titles being serialized in Monthly Afternoon. Out of them, Wandering Island is on hiatus.

1980s

 * Oh My Goddess! (ああっ女神さまっ) by Kōsuke Fujishima (1988–2014)
 * Kū o Kiru (空を斬る) by Norifusa Mita (1989)
 * Parasyte (寄生獣) 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 (コンパイラ) by Kia Asamiya (1990–1992)
 * Gunsmith Cats (ガンスミスキャッツ) by Kenichi Sonoda (1991–1997)
 * Discommunication (ディスコミュニケーション) by Riichi Ueshiba (1991–1999)
 * Ice Blade (地雷震) by Tsutomu Takahashi (1992–1999)
 * Assembler 0X (アセンブラ０Ｘ) by Kia Asamiya (1992–1995)
 * Tensui (天水) by Kazuichi Hanawa (1992–1994)
 * Blade of the Immortal (無限の住人) by Hiroaki Samura (1993–2012)
 * Seraphic Feather (セラフィック・フェザー) by Yo Morimoto, Toshiya Takeda (story) and Hiroyuki Utatane (art) (1993–2008)
 * Hanashippanashi (はなしっぱなし) by Daisuke Igarashi (1994–1996)
 * Yugo (勇午) by Shinji Makari (story) and Akana Shu (art) (1994–2004)
 * Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō (ヨコハマ買い出し紀行) by Hitoshi Ashinano (1994–2006)
 * Wings of Vendemiaire (ヴァンデミエールの翼) by Mohiro Kitoh (1995–1997)
 * Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei (1997–2003)
 * Kamikaze (神・風) by Satoshi Shiki (1997–2003)
 * Cannon God Exaxxion (砲神エグザクソン) by Kenichi Sonoda (1997–2004)
 * Eden: It's an Endless World! by Hiroki Endo (1997–2008)
 * Shadow Star (なるたる) by Mohiro Kitoh (1998–2003)
 * From Kobe (神戸在住) by Kon Kimura (1998–2006)
 * Uchu Kazoku Carlvinson (宇宙家族カールビンソン) by Yoshito Asari (1999–2000)

2000s

 * Smuggler (スマグラー) by Shohei Manabe (2000)
 * Nasu (茄子) by Iou Kuroda (2000–2002)
 * Yume Tsukai (夢使い) by Riichi Ueshiba (2001–2003)
 * Manga Abenobashi Mahō Shōtengai (まんが アベノ橋魔法☆商店街 ―アベノの街に祈りを込めて―) by Kenji Tsuruta (2001–2002)
 * LuCu LuCu (るくるく) by Yoshito Asari (2001–2009)
 * Genshiken (げんしけん) by Shimoku Kio (2002–2016)
 * Little Forest (リトル・フォレスト) by Daisuke Igarashi (2002–2005)
 * Mushishi (蟲師) by Yuki Urushibara (2002–2008) (moved from Afternoon Season Zōkan)
 * Mokke (もっけ) by Takatoshi Kumakura (2003–2009) (moved from Afternoon Season Zōkan)
 * Shadow Skill by Megumu Okada (2003–2006)
 * Love Roma (ラブロマ) by Minoru Toyoda (2003–2005)
 * Tokko (特公) by Tooru Fujisawa (2003–2004)
 * Karapuri! (カラプリ) by Kia Asamiya (2003)
 * Me and the Devil Blues (俺と悪魔のブルーズ) by Akira Hiramoto (2003–2008) (transferred to Young Magazine the 3rd)
 * Voices of a Distant Star (ほしのこえ) by Makoto Shinkai (original work) and Sumomo Yumeka (2004–2005)
 * Shion no Ō (しおんの王) by Masaru Katori (story) and Jiro Ando (art) (2004–2008)
 * Little Jumper (リトル・ジャンパー) by Yuzo Takada (2004–2008)
 * Gunsmith Cats BURST by Kenichi Sonoda (2004–2008)
 * Shūsen no Lorelei (終戦のローレライ) by Harutoshi Fukui (original novel), Takashi Nagasaki and Takayuki Kosai (2005–2007)
 * Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (巌窟王) by Mahiro Maeda (2005–2008)
 * Sora no Manimani (宙のまにまに) by Mami Kashiwabara (2005–2011)
 * The Place Promised in Our Early Days (雲のむこう、約束の場所) by Makoto Shinkai (original work) and Sumomo Yumeka (2005–2006)
 * Mysterious Girlfriend X (謎の彼女X) by Riichi Ueshiba (2006–2014)
 * Nacun (ナチュン) by Daisaku Tsuru (2006–2010)
 * Mimia Hime (ミミア姫) by Yutaka Tanaka (2006–2009)
 * Oh! Edo Rocket (大江戸ロケット) by Kazuki Nakashima (original story) and Una Hamana (2007–2009)
 * Kabu no Isaki (カブのイサキ) by Hitoshi Ashinano (2007–2013)
 * Octave (オクターヴ) by Haru Akiyama (2008–2011)
 * Jigopuri (ぢごぷり) by Shimoku Kio (2008–2010)
 * Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo: Kiri no Hōmonsha (薬師寺涼子の怪奇事件簿 霧の訪問者) by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2009)
 * Knights of Sidonia (シドニアの騎士) by Tsutomu Nihei (2009–2015)
 * Suiiki (水域) by Yuki Urushibara (2009–2010)

2010s

 * Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo: Suiyobi ni Goyojin (薬師寺涼子の怪奇事件簿 水妖日にご用心) by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2010)
 * 5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル) by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Seike Yukiko (art) (2010–2011)
 * Bullet the Wizard (ブレット・ザ・ウィザード) by Kenichi Sonoda (2010–2012)
 * Break of Dawn (ぼくらのよあけ) by Tetsuya Imai (2011)
 * Kyō no Yuiko-san (今日のユイコさん) by Kenshin Hidekawa (2011–2015)
 * Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo: Jyoō Heika no Maneki Neko (薬師寺涼子の怪奇事件簿 女王陛下の招き猫) by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2012)
 * Land of the Lustrous (宝石の国) by Haruko Ichikawa (2012–2024)
 * Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo: Makyo no Jyoō Heika (薬師寺涼子の怪奇事件簿 魔境の女王陛下) by Yoshiki Tanaka (story) and Narumi Kakinouchi (art) (2012–2013)
 * Nemesis no Tsue (ネメシスの杖) by Ao Akato (2013)
 * The Gods Lie (神様がうそをつく.) by Kaori Ozaki (2013)
 * The Garden of Words (言の葉の庭) by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Midori Motohashi (art) (2013)
 * Marginal Operation (マージナル・オペレーション) by Yuri Shibamura (story) and Daisuke Kimura (art) (2013–2021)
 * Designs (ディザインズ) by Daisuke Igarashi (2015–2019)
 * Black-Box by Tsutomu Takahashi (2015–2019)
 * She and Her Cat (彼女と彼女の猫) by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Tsubasa Yamaguchi (art) (2016)
 * In Hand: Himokura Hakase to Majime na Migiude (インハンド 紐倉博士とまじめな右腕) by	Ao Akato (2016)
 * Ogami-san Can't Keep It In (大上さん、だだ漏れです.) by Yu Yoshidamaru (2016–2019)
 * Atari no Kitchen! (あたりのキッチン!) by Yuki Shirono (2016–2018)
 * The Golden Sheep (金のひつじ) by Kaori Ozaki (2017–2019)
 * Hashikko Ensemble (はしっこアンサンブル) by Shimoku Kio (2018–2022)
 * When a Cat Faces West (猫が西向きゃ) by Yuki Urushibara (2018–2020)
 * Inui to Tatsumi -Siberia Shuppei Hishi- (乾と巽 ―ザバイカル戦記―) by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (2018–2024)
 * Weathering with You (天気の子) by Makoto Shinkai (original work) and Wataru Kubota (2019–2020)
 * Aa! Shuukatsu no Megami-sama! (ああっ就活の女神さまっ) by Uhei Aoki (story) and Kumichi Yoshizuki (art) (2019–2021)
 * The Decagon House Murders (十角館の殺人) by Yukito Ayatsuji (story) and Hiro Kiyohara (art) (2019–2022)
 * Blade of the Immortal - Bakumatsu Arc (無限の住人～幕末ノ章～) by Kenji Takigawa (story), Ryū Suenobu (art) and Hiroaki Samura (collaboration) (2019–2024)

2020s

 * Tomodachi toshite Daisuki (友達として大好き) by Mikumi Yuuchi (2020–2021)
 * Spotlight (スポットライト) by Kaze Miura (2020–2021)
 * Maō no Kikan (魔王の帰還) by Michi Ichiho (story) and Nori Arashiyama (art) (2021)
 * Q, koi tte nan desu ka? (Q、恋ってなんですか？) by Fiok Lee (2021–2022)
 * Sing a Bit of Harmony (アイの歌声を聴かせて) by Yasuhiro Yoshiura (original story) and Megumu Maeda (art) (2021–2022)
 * Chaos Game (カオスゲーム) by Daiki Yamazaki (2022–2024)
 * Suzume (すずめの戸締まり) by Makoto Shinkai (story) and Denki Amashima (art) (2022–2023)