Security Officer / Martial Arts Instructor for the starship Phoenix. Mated to Kiku. Born and bred on the Japanese colony world of Asahikawa which was quarantined due to a gene-engineered symbiote that converts all mammals to herms. Shintaro was born a herm though, but served as a samurai to hir lords - Akira and Hikaru Yamato - original colonists who were converted by the symbiotes. Shintaro and Kiku accompany the Yamatos on a diplomatic mission for which the starship Phoenix is acting as courier to Earth. When Kiku is killed in an accident, Shintaro is devastated, but still continues hir role of protecting the Yamatos until it is revealed that Kiku was actually murdered to prevent the secret of the Yamatos' plot to infect Earth with the herm plague from being revealed. Grief-stricken and feeling betrayed, shi feels shi can never return home anymore, and requests to stay aboard Phoenix, supported by Anastasiya with whom shi feels great kinship. Having already been impregnated by Kiku before their mission started, Shintaro eventually gives birth to a child whom shi names Kiku after hir beloved lost mate, and Anastasiya helps with the child as a surrogate parent.

Sample art by and copyright to Mayra Boyle.