Here's a quick description of most of the Hime-Chan characters, followed by
a brief description of the general premise of the show. I hope to post an
episode guide in the next couple of weeks, as well. [Note: This episode
guide has yet to be posted.]

Human World Characters
======================
Himeko (Nonohara):
Also known as Hime-Chan, she's the main female character. A tomboyish
girl 13-14 years old (she has a birthday around episode #10), she has short
yellow hair with a big red Ribbon tied in it. Often seen yelling "Ike
Ike Go Go Jump!". Carries Pokota around quite a bit. Seems to be falling
in love with Daichi. Had a crush on Hasekura-sempai. Is a member of the
Drama Club at school.

Pokota:
A stuffed yellow lion, who is animated whenever Himeko wears the Ribbon.
He and Himeko have become very good friends. He tries to keep her out of
trouble.

Aiko (Nonohara):
Himeko's older sister. She is considered very attractive, and has long
black hair. Calm, soft-spoken, polite, and good at cooking/cleaning (like
Kasumi from Ranma 1/2). Himeko thinks of her as the "ideal woman". Aiko
is dating Hasekura-sempai.

Yumeko (Nonohara):
Sometimes just called "Yume". Himeko's younger sister (about 5 years
old), she is excitable, nosy, and makes very funny comments. Usually
only seen in the Nonohara household, so she isn't hard to identify.

Hanako (Nonohara):
Hime-Chan's mother, a very harried woman. Usually working busily on a
book she's writing, leaving Aiko to deal with household mundanities.

Himeko's father
Has short black hair and an unkempt mustache. Doesn't understand young
girls, and wishes they'd had at least one boy. Worries that Himeko hates
him (which she doesn't). Works in a film studio.

Daichi (Kobayashi):
A boy in the same grade as Himeko. He's very good at sports, is
rebellious, and is often seen trying to avoid being caught by
Gori-sensei. He skips class a lot. Most of the girls at school seem to
think he's "cool"...there's even a "Daichi Fan Club".

Hikaru (Hibino):
The head of the "Daichi Fan Club", she has completely fallen for Daichi.
She has shoulder-length brown hair, is (supposedly) attractive, and hangs
around Daichi at every possible opportunity. Picture Hikaru from Kimagure
Orange Road, and you'll have a good idea how she behaves. Fantasizes
quite a bit, and has an extremely high opinion of herself (she's stuck-up).
She has a unique bit of theme music that is almost always played whenever
she confronts Himeko.

Manami (Mori):
A girl in the same grade as Himeko. She tends to think everyone (and
every*thing*) is 'cool'. Shy, and has a crush on Tachibana-sempai, the
head of the school soccer team. Usually walks to/from school with Himeko.
Has reddish hair that hangs down behind her in a pair of ponytails.

Icchan (Kamikura):
Another girl in the same grade as Himeko, who walks to/from school with
her. She has short brown hair, which is tied up in two small pigtails
that come out the top of her head. Voice-acted by Nabiki's voice actress
(from Ranma 1/2).

Shintarou (Kobayashi):
Daichi's little (5 years old) brother.

Gori-sensei:
Seems to be the official school grouch. Is drawn with a nearly-square
head, and sort of lumbers around. Himeko's teacher.

Tetsu (Takada):
A male classmate (and friend) of Daichi's, who sometimes talks with him at
lunch, covers for him when he skips class, or helps him avoid Gori-sensei.

Hasekura-sempai:
Member of the Drama Club, and probably the reason Himeko is interested in
Drama in the first place. Himeko used to have a crush on him, but once he
started dating Aiko, he pretty much stopped appearing in episodes.

Shinoyama:
A nosy reporter/photographer who tried to help Hikaru uncover Himeko's secret (Ribbon).

Characters From The Land Of Magic
=================================
All people in the Land of Magic look exactly like someone in the human
world.

Erika:
Princess of the Land of Magic. Looks like Himeko, except she has long
hair and usually wears a dress. Usually seen staring into a crystal ball
as she watches Himeko go through her daily life. Keeps a diary of what
she sees Himeko doing. Loaned the Ribbon to Himeko. Is forbidden from
going to the Human World while she is watching Himeko (for one year).
Can perform magic.

Erika's father:
The King of the Land of Magic. He dresses like a King as well -- you'll
know him if you see him. Doesn't look like anyone, yet. Can perform magic.

Ren (or Len):
Seems to be Erika's butler. Usually appears when Erika is thinking about
rushing to the human world to save Himeko from doing something stupid.
Tall, male, and has a big mustache. Doesn't look like anyone, yet.

Chappy:
Erika's talking broom. Very annoying.

Sei (Array):
Handsome male character, a little bit stuck-up. Falls in love with
Himeko. Short light brown hair. Can perform magic. Doesn't look
like anyone, yet. Has a very weak constitution, so he gets sick/tired
easily. Has a special magical ability with animals. Goes by
'Arisaka Sei' in the human world.

Lobelia (or Robelia):
Female character in the Land of Magic who looks exactly like Hikaru.

Camille:
Male character in the Land of Magic who looks exactly like Daichi, and
chases all sorts of women. Can perform magic.

Pink:
An animated stuffed animal in the Land of Magic. Pokota likes her.

General Info
============
Erika loaned the Ribbon to Himeko, in trade for being allowed to watch her
via crystal ball for one year. The Ribbon is what animates Pokota. It also
allows Himeko to transform into any other person in the human world.
To do this, Himeko must stand in front of a reflective surface (like a
mirror)
and say "Parallel Parallel, ni naaaaare!". When she does this, the
Ribbon turns into a small Pendant. When the one-hour time limit on her
transformation is about to end, the Pendant starts to flash and beep.
Before the hour is up, she must stand in front of a reflective surface
(again) and recite "RURERAPA RURERAPA, moto no sugata ni naaaare!" (or
something close to that) in order to turn back.
Note: 'RURERAPA' is 'PARARERU' (Parallel) with the syllable ordering
reversed.

If she doesn't turn back within the time limit... she is stuck in that
person's form for the rest of her life.

There are five general rules that describe the Ribbon's behavior:
* She can only transform while wearing the ribbon.
* She can only transform into people in the human world.
* She can only transform for one hour at a time.
* While she's transformed, the real person (who she now looks like)
still exists, so she has to be careful not to meet that person.
* While she's transformed, she cannot remove the Pendant.

Later in the series, Himeko gets another magical item that allows her to
make a duplicate of herself. The duplicate acts and talks in a much more
feminine way than Himeko does.

In one year, when Erika's "watching the human world" training ends, Himeko
will have to return the Ribbon. (and, presumably, the Palette which allows
her to make a duplicate of herself) In addition, if anyone in the human
world ever discovers that she has these magical powers, they will be taken
away from her, and all memories that relate to them (or to the Land of Magic)
will be purged from the human world. (Actually, Daichi finds out about her
powers fairly early in the series, but an exception is made. As long as
nobody *else* finds out about them, Himeko is still OK.)