My Monster Secret Volume 17 Manga Review
Jitsu wa Watashi wa/実は私は 17
My Monster Secret: “Actually, I am…” 17

–> Buy My Monster Secret Volume 17 from Amazon.com

My life is insanely busy at the moment. And with the insanity of the plague going on, plus the fact that I couldn’t go on my normal May vacation ‘casue “reasons”, things are pretty stressful. However, they say laughter is the best medicine. If that’s the case, then My Monster Secret Volume 17 is good medicine indeed. But as often happens, there was more to this volume than good laughs.

NOTICE!!! In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I am the adapter for the official English translation of the True Tenchi Muyo! novels, which are also published by Seven Seas.

* * *SPOILERS* * *

The Story in Brief

Things get started in My Monster Secret Volume 17 with Akari-sensei and Akane dealing with the fact that Akari has a high school boyfriend. Later, some girls in the class invite Youko and Asahi as well as Nagisa to join them for karaoke. Naturally, Nagisa and Youko let the excitement get to them, causing Asahi to have to keep the others from finding out the two’s secret.

A job is waiting for Mikan after she graduates, meaning she will have to give up on Asahi. He doesn’t know how to help Mikan with her pain. Meanwhile, Okada sees Mikan fleeing in tears from Asahi, causing him to consider his feelings for Mikan. He chats with her, but gets blown off. Thanks to his telepathic ability, he discovers Fuku-chan, the deity possessing Mikan’s glasses.

After running into Asahi’s sister Mei, Okada decides to ask her out since he sees in her mind that she’s attracted to him. The two go out on a date, but Mei knows that Okada is actually interested in Mikan. Mei’s honesty causes Okada to race back and find Mikan. He gives a heart felt confession. Mikan rejects it, but recognizing her own situation in Okada, she doesn’t dissuade him from continuing his efforts to win her over.

At school, Okada ditches his glasses and pursues Mikan. The future Mikan observes the antics with Rin and Yuka. Later, Youko, Asahi, Nagisa, Shiho, Rin, and Akane are going to bake sweet potatoes in the embers of a fire. Akane can’t wait for an hour to pass, so she uses dark magic to speed up time with wacky results.

Okada x Mikan

I have to say, other than longtime blog reader NullApostle hinting that Okada was going to get some love, I had no clue as to the depths of character work he’d get in My Monster Secret Volume 17. I had no problems with his attempts to win Mikan over. After all, it had been previously established that he had a thing for Mikan. And I had no problem with the brief Okada x Mei flirtation, considering how things were set up.

I guess my only problem was in making Okada a telepath. That came out of left field for me. Maybe I’ve forgotten something, but I don’t remember any hints being dropped of Okada being a telepath. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind that he has a secret and a telepathic power. It just that a lack of setup for it after sixteen volumes of manga makes it feel forced.

That aside, I did like the story though. On one hand, you have Mikan having to give up on Asahi since she’s leaving town. On the other hand, Okada has an opportunity. And in the end, he doesn’t let Mikan’s rejections put him off. OK, he had a pit stop with Mei, but I was cool with that, since he could read her mind and knew she liked him. Thankfully, Mei understood the situation.

So while Okada and Mikan aren’t a couple at the end of the volume, the fact that future Mikan showed up leads me to think that Mikan does marry Okada.

Finally, it is weird seeing Okada without his glasses.

A Top-5 Manga Laugh Moment!

I can’t say for sure where this gut buster from My Monster Secret Volume 17 chapter 151 lands in an actual chart in terms of laughs. But for me, it is easily a top-5 laugh moment. Even now, I am having a hard time writing because I keep laughing and laughing and laughing.

As usual, Akane is the cause of the laughs. This time, her desperation to have sweet potatoes cooked sooner rather than wait an hour caused her to use dark magic to try to speed up time. But her efforts caused things to become literally twisted (screwy as the official translations state). And of course, this brings Akari to bring punishment to Akane, having suffered from this twisted effect.

I don’t want to destroy my manga volume, so here’s an “unofficial” image, which has been put together nicely. Although the unofficial translation only has a sound effect coming from Akari’s mouth, the official translation makes it clear she’s farting through her mouth. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

What helps make this so funny for me is Masuda-sensei’s more horror style artwork in a purely outrageously funny moment. And Akane knows that the literally twisted Akari is Death personified. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Even at the end of the chapter, Youko’s mother comes after Akane with a katana since Akane’s antics caused Touko’s home to become twisted. 🤣🤣🤣 Good stuff.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In the end, My Monster Secret Volume 17 contained some good laughs, some unexpected character work for Okada and Mikan, and then one of the funniest chapters I’ve ever read in a manga. I am still laughing! 🤣😂🤣😂