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Kadokawa to End Dragon Magazine, Launch Web Novel Magazine This Spring

Kadokawa announced on Thursday that it will launch a new light novel web magazine titled "Mekuri Mekuru" this spring. In line with this, Kadokawa's existing light novel magazine Dragon Magazine will end its publication after 37 years with its May 2025 issue, which will ship in March. Also, the Kimirano light novel recommendation website will close as a standalone service. Some of Kimirano's content and services will be transferred to the new platform spearheaded by the upcoming web magazine.

The "Mekuri Mekuru" web magazine will deliver news and content on "entertainment novels" such as light novels, and will also deliver content on related entertainment topics such as anime, manga, events, music, and voice actors. More information about the new web magazine will be released at a later date.

Dragon Magazine's editors stated that with the recent changes in the reading environment, they realized that the paper magazine is no longer able to fulfill its role. The magazine launched in 1988, and published its 35th anniversary issue in 2023. The magazine published writer Hajime Kanzaka and artist Rui Araizumi's Slayers light novel series, and its more recent titles include Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World, You Were Experienced, I Was Not: Our Dating Story, Management of a Novice Alchemist, Spy Classroom, The Legend of the Legendary Heroes, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, and Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor.

The "Kimirano" management team stated that its "Tsugi ni Kuru Light Novel Taishō" (Next Light Novel Award) will still go forward, with the livestream of announcement of winners scheduled on February 23. The light novel website launched in 2019.

Sources: Kimirano website, Fantasia Bunko's X/Twitter account via Otakomu

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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.