Ranma 1/2

Here are bios of only a few of the myriad of Ranma characters. This is hardly a list of complete characters, or even a third of them, but it's some place to get started.
Notes=Japanese names are listed Japanese style, last name first.
Seiyuu=Voice Actor
Warning there are Spoilers in here.
[Akane] [Shampoo] [Ryoga] [Genma][Soun][Kasumi][Nabiki] [Story]
[sAoToMe RaNmA]
Age:16
Jusenkyo cursed?: yes
Turns into: a petite, shapely young woman (Ranma-chan)
Afraid of: cats
Family: lives with father (Genma), also has estranged mother he hasn't seen in years (Nadoka)
Fiancees/Those who pine for him: Tendo Akane(though it may not seem so most of the time), Shampoo, Kuno Kodachi, Kuonji Ukyo
Those who love him as Ranma-chan: Kuno Tatewaki
Seiyuu (boy-type): (Japanese): Yamaguchi Kappei (English): Sarah Strange,
Seiyuu (girl-type): (Japanese): Hayashibara Megumi (English): Brigetta Dau (1-6), Venus Terzo (all others)

The title character of the series is a good martial artist who wishes his father had known about the curse of the Jusenkyo Springs before brining him to train there. As a girl, he has no modesty, and often is the object of affection of other men. (MUCH to his regret!) He seems to not like being engaged to Akane any more than she does to him, calling her "uncute." The truth is, he likes her, but whenever he tries to be nice to her, she's rude to him, so he finds no reason to be nice. As a man, he has many fiancées who want to either have them for themselves or clobber him! (Depending on the occasionE He also seems to have many enemies, who in fact may love him when he is Ranma-chan!

[TeNdO aKaNe]
Age: 16
Juesenkyo cursed?: no
Family: father (Soun), older sisters (Kasumi & Nabiki)
Fiancées/Those who pine for her: Saotome Ranma, Kuno Tatewaki, Hibiki Ryoga
Once had a crush on: Dr. Tofu
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Hidaka Noriko (English): Myriam Sirios

Akane is a very tomboyish, strong martial artist who HATES boys. At the beginning of the series, each morning on her way to school, thanks to Tatewaki, she has to fight off a chorus of boys who want to win the right to date her. (Which may explain why she hates them.) She hates the fact that she was volunteered to be Ranma's fiancée, and makes sure that he knows that. But there are some moments when it would suggest, perhaps she doesn't hate him as much as she says she does. Especially when she gets jealous over his numerous suitors. She keeps a small, black pig as a pet named P-chan. (Who just happens to be Ryoga, unbeknownst to her!)

[sHaMpOo]
Jusenkyo cursed?: yes
Turns into: a small, white cat
Family: great-grandmother (Cologne)
Those who pine for her: Mousse (her rejected suitor)
She loves: Saotome Ranma
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Sakuma Rei (English): Cathy Weseluck

Shampoo is an Amazon from China. She first met Ranma in girl-form, and Ranma and she had a martial arts fight. Ranma was the victor, and by Amazon law, a woman who defeats an Amazon must be killed by that Amazon. Shampoo follows Ranma to Japan, intent on killing "her," but soon discovers that Ranma is a man. They fight again, and again, Ranma wins. By Amazon law, any man who defeats an Amazon is supposed to marry that Amazon. Now Shampoo is completely convinced Ranma is supposed to be her husband, and after a short trip back to China, now resides in Japan working a delivery service with her great-grandmother, Cologne. When she was in China the second time, however, she went to Jusenkyo and now is cursed to turn into a cat whenever she is splashed with cold water. Bas news for her, though-Ranma is deathly afraid of cats!

[HiBiKi rYoGa]
Jusenkyo cursed?: yes
Turns into: a small, black pig (P-chan)
He pines for: Tendo Akane
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Yamadera Koichi (English): Michael Donovan

Ryoga is one of Ranma's enemies from the past who followed Ranma to where he resides now in Japan. He has the world's worst sense of direction, and the reason he got so mad at Ranma in the first place is because he believes he stood him up for a fight. (In fact, it took Ryoga too long [days!] to find the place they were supposed to fight, and Ranma got bored and left.) While following Ranma's traces, he went to Jusenkyo and fell in himself, so now he turns into a black pig whenever splashed with cold water. Ranma knows that his enemy turns into this pig, but when Akane saw Ranma beating up Ryoga (as a pig), she thought he was beating a poor animal, and decided to take this pig as her pet, naming it "P-chan." Ryoga soon develops a love for Akane, but can never bring himself to tell her he is also that little pig that she sometimes brings to bed at night!

[sAoToMe GeNmA]
Jusenkyo cursed?: yes
Turns into: a large panda
Family: son (Ranma), estranged wife (Nadoka)
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Ogata Kenichi (English): Robert O. Smith

Genma has trained in martial arts nearly all his life, once training under Happosai with Tendo Soun. When Soun and Genma grew up and had children, they agreed that Genma's son, Ranma, would marry one of Soun's daughters so that they could keep on the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Genma started training his son in martial arts at an early age, and when they go to train at Jusekyo in China, he falls into a spring as well, and now turns into a giant panda whenever splashed with cold water, sommunicating only by writing things on signs. He seems to enjoy his panda form and turns himself into it whenever he doesn't feel like talking or getting involved with something.

[TeNdO sOuN]
Soun Tendo
Jusenkyo cursed?: no
Family: daughters (Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane)
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Obayashi Ryunosuke (English): David Kaye

Soun has trained in martial arts nearly all his life, once training under Happosai with Saotome Genma. When Soun and Genma grew up and had children, they agreed that Genma's son, Ranma, would marry one of Soun's daughters (Kasumi, Nabiki, or Akane) so that they could keep on the Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Soun gets pretty emotional at times, and he always tries to find any opportunity to get Akane and Ranma together.

[TeNdO KaSuMi]
Age: 19
Jusenkyo cursed?: no
Family: father (Soun), younger sisters (Nabiki & Akane)
Those who pine for her: Dr. Tofu
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Inoue Kikuko (English): Willow Johnson

Kasumi is the oldest of the Tendo daughters. She takes the mother's place in the house, cooking and cleaning for her family and their guests. She is sweet and quiet, and extends her welcome to any of her family's odd guests. Unbeknownst to her, Dr. Tofu, who at any other time is a serious doctor, becomes really goofy whenever she's near him. (He has a very big crush on her.) She believes that's just the way he is all the time!

[TeNdO NaBiKi]
Age: 17
Jusenkyo cursed?: no
Family: father (Soun), sisters (Kasumi & Akane)
Seiyuu: (Japanese): Takayama Minami (English): Angela Costain

Nabiki is the middle Tendo daughter. She always tries to get M-O-N-E-Y out of any situation. She's pretty devious and smart-alec, and she likes to take advantage of poor Jusenkyo-cursed ones. (Especially Ranma!) She seems to feel a bit sorry for Kuno Tatewaki, and she helps him in his longings for Akane and Ranma (girl-type). But, as long as she gets money, she's happy!