Akane's Unfathomable Heart

Akane no Kokoro ga Wakaranai (あかねの心がわからない) is the 23rd episode in the sixth season, Random Rhapsody, of Ranma ½ and the 135th episode overall.

Ryoga accidentally sends a telepathic boy to visit the Tendo Dojo, where he proceeds to make himself a nuisance.

Relation to the Previous Episode
None.

The Child Psychic
After stumbling upon a forest whilst searching for a mailbox, Ryoga encounters a young boy who seems to know what Ryoga's thinking. The boy then takes a picture of Ryoga (as P-chan) with Akane and asks where she lives. Ryoga ends up thinking about where Akane lives, giving the young boy the information he needed. Having no more need for Ryoga, the boy departs, but makes sure to leave Ryoga his picture of Akane.

Meanwhile, as school finishes, Akane hands Ranma a very poorly made hand puppet and instructs him to leave it on the living room table. Ranma initially wonders if the puppet is meant to be a monster, but Akane angrily corrects him that it's meant to be the Princess. As Akane goes off with her friends, Ranma decides not to argue any further and takes the puppet with him.

As he walks through the streets of Furinkan, Ranma is found by Shampoo who runs over him on her bike. Shampoo is her usual self and wastes no time asking Ranma to go on a date with her, but Ranma informs her that he has something to do. However, this causes Shampoo to suggest that they do it together as this way it'll get done quicker. In response, Ranma fills Shampoo in that he has to deliver something on the behalf of Akane, however, he then notices that the puppet has been ruined when Shampoo ran over him.

With no other excuses available, Ranma has to agree to Shampoo's request of going on a date. As way of apology, Shampoo sews up the puppet, this time making it actually look like a Princess. Ranma thanks Shampoo and tries to take the puppet from her, but she reminds of the deal they made, whereby she would fix the puppet and Ranma would agree to go on a date with her. Using Ranma's weakness of not admitting his feelings for Akane, Shampoo ensures Ranma goes on a date with her before finishing his job for Akane. Luckily for Ranma, he manages to struggle out of his shirt before jumping away from Shampoo with the puppet in-hand.

Dealing with Satori
Once Ranma returns he notices the snacks set out on the table and assumes that they must have company. After putting the puppet on the table, a voice rings out and reiterates Ranma's fears of Akane finding out what happened to the puppet. Ranma obviously hears this and looks around, but can only see Kasumi tending to the garden outside. As he picks up one of the snacks, Ranma hears the voice again and swiftly locates where it's coming from and throws the snack in that direction.

The snack reveals the voice belongs to the boy Ryoga met earlier, who informs Ranma that is surprise tactics don't work on him. Ranma demands to know who the boy is, but just ends up chasing the boy, whilst he reveals what Ranma did with Shampoo earlier. Eventually Ranma corners the boy, when Nabiki appears on the stairs and sarcastically comments how glad she is that they're getting on, before explaining to Ranma that this boy claims to be friend of Ryoga.

Shortly thereafter everyone at the Dojo comes round to see what all the noise is about, making Ranma demand yet again to know who the boy is. The boy reveals his name to be Satori, but he soon loses his temper when Soun, Genma and Happosai mishear what he said. Fortunately, Kasumi arrives and calms down Satori by pronouncing his name correctly. Satori then reveals his ability to read minds, however, everybody dismisses the claim as childish fantasy, which causes the frustrated Satori to focus his attention on Nabiki's mind, but soon suffers for it when he sees himself trapped in a flood of gold coins.

After being snapped out of the mind reading, Satori declares he'll prove himself by reading Happosai's mind, but Genma warns him that if he can truly read minds it would be wise not to read Happosai's. Undeterred, Satori reads Happosai's mind, but what he sees there causes him to blush before getting a trickle of blood run from his nose soon followed by him passing out. Satori is then quickly rushed into the living room, where Kasumi sits next to him whilst commenting that whatever Satori saw it must've been really disgusting.

Once Satori recovers he still wants to prove himself, so Soun gives him the opportunity to read someone else's mind when suddenly Akane can be heard returning home. Soun explains the situation to Akane and she happily agrees to let Satori read her mind, but, after blushing at Akane's appearance, Satori finds himself unable to read Akane's mind. Soun allows Satori to spend the night whilst Akane sees the puppet and thanks Ranma, not noticing how the puppet's different appearance. Satori quickly jumps on Ranma's worries and announces what Ranma's thinking.

The next morning soon rolls around and Ranma is getting more and more tired of Satori's presence. When Akane tells the pair the breakfast is ready, Satori can't help himself from revealing that Ranma's hiding something from her, but Ranma swiftly discuses the situation by pushing Satori towards the table.

As Ranma and Satori rapid ally stuff their faces, Soun tells Kasumi that they should try to economise on the food for this month. Just then Ranma finished his rice and moves in to take a pickled vegetable, but Satori reads his mind and takes the vegetables away before having one himself. After this happens a few times more, Ranma loses his patience and shouts at Satori, prompting the angered Genma (who's in his panda form) to ask his son if he raised him to be so cruel to children before sending Ranma flying through the Dojo's roof.

Satori's Farewell
When Ranma next encounters Satori, he demands the little psychic doesn't follow him. Satori accepts the request and walks away, only for Ranma to realise what Satori's done as he runs to the bathroom which Satori has occupied before Ranma could. Soun and Genma then become Satori's victims as he tells them the other's next move and motives in their game. Nabiki, meanwhile, looks on quietly at the scene and notes how Soun and Genma are just putty in Satori's hands.

At the same time, as Akane prepares to go out for rehearsals, Shampoo arrives so that she can collect her promise from Ranma. Panicking, Ranma tries to get Shampoo outside, but it's all for nought as Satori reveals the planned date between the pair. Ranma attempts to amend the situation, but Akane doesn't want to hear it and walks off shortly before commenting how the puppet is sown better than anything she could've done. Hearing this, Shampoo wastes no time in revealing her involvement in fixing the puppet, a fact which Satori confirms as true.

Suddenly Satori declares that Ranma's hiding something much, much, more important from Akane, but even Ranma doesn't know what Satori's talking about this time. Now infuriated, Akane tells Ranma not to take it out on Satori before handing back the puppet and kicking Ranma into the sky.

Some time passes and Akane sulks in her room, when Satori comes in to see her. Satori notes how he thought Akane would be upset, but Akane reassures him she isn't, which only prompts Satori to repeat what happened between Ranma and Shampoo again. Seeing Akane look so downhearted, Satori tries to read Akane's mind to see if she's lying or not, but still finds himself unable to read any of Akane's thoughts. Ranma, meanwhile, sits in a tree with Akane's puppet and comments on much effort Akane must've put in to make it. He then decides that he'd best apologise to Akane.

Back with Satori, and as he walks out of Akane's room he bumps into Nabiki, who offers to tell him why he can't read Akane's mind. Intrigued, Satori takes up the challenge when Nabiki tells him to read her mind for the answer, but is deeply embarrassed when he learns that Nabiki believes it's because he loves Akane. Just then Ranma walks up the stairs and the pair swiftly decide to settle things once and for all atop the Dojo's roof.

Once they get onto the roof, Ranma starts his fight with Satori, but struggles when Satori dodges him immediately by knowing every move Ranma's going to make. When Akane climbs a ladder to see what's going on, Satori seizes his chance and head-butts Ranma in the stomach. As Ranma also uses this chance to grab onto Satori's shorts, Akane demands he stops given how young Satori is. However, Ranma tries to explain all the trouble he's gone through because of Satori when suddenly Satori bites his arm. This distracts Ranma, making him lose his footing and fall towards Akane.

The trio then hang from the roof edge, with only Ranma having to support everyone else. As they hang, Satori finds himself able to read both Ranma and Akane's hidden feelings for each other. He then declares the both of them liars just before Ranma loses his grip and they all fall on the ground below.

By later afternoon, Satori wishes Ranma and Akane farewell, quietly noting that when he returns it'll be with a girlfriend like Akane. Satori then gives Ranma a surprise punch to the stomach, before running off down the street and biding the pair so long... Meanwhile, Ryoga still finds himself hopelessly lost in a forest looking for a mailbox...

Trivia

 * When Happosai mishears Satori's name as "Hattori" he comments that Satori must be a ninja, a reference to.
 * In Japanese mythology, a satori is an ape-like yokai from the mountains with the power to read minds and a penchant for harassing and even killing people. One of their most iconic tricks was to verbally announce what their victim was thinking as they thought it, eventually confusing them so badly that they would be helpless. The character here is clearly based on the yokai.
 * When Shampoo is resewing the doll, she briefly hums Don't Make Me Wild Like You, which was the opening theme for first season and first for the series overall.
 * This is the final episode where Elaina Wotten-Costain voices Nabiki Tendo. She had replaced her sister, Angela Costain, in the role since season five's Bonjour, Furinkan! since Angela was attending flight school during the production of season six. Starting with the next and final season, Angela will reclaim the role from her sister.
 * While female Ranma made no appearance in this episode, it's possible given his psychic powers that Satori knows of Ranma's curse but chooses not to let the household know that he knows.