There are many characters in Ranma ½. Some are recurring, while some only appear for one brief story.
Some of Takahashi's other characters from her previous works such as Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku have similar character traits as those from Ranma ½. For instance, Ryuunosuke Fujinami of Urusei Yatsura can be seen as almost a precursor to Ukyo Kuonji, while a character like Shun Mitaka or Shutaro Mendo carries the suave ladykiller characteristics of Tatewaki Kuno. Even Yusaku Godai of Maison Ikkoku could easily be compared with Ranma ½'s own shyly devoted Ryoga Hibiki in many ways.

This is not to say that the characters of Ranma ½ are stereotypical or lifted from Takahashi's other works. The characters grow and change over the course of the manga and anime. Some of them fall in and out of love, others realize their dreams while some understand that what they wish for can never be. The characters of Ranma ½ range from gentle and shy to loud and obnoxious and everything in between.

But at the center of the story, behind the fights and fiancees lies the story of two young people who learn to love each other. Ranma and Akane, over the span of the manga and anime, go from bitter dislike to mutual love. Most of the characters represent the barriers that are thrown in to prevent the two from ever coming together, but as the series progresses and time passes it is very clear that Ranma and Akane represent two halves of a greater whole.

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