Shino Kuribayashi

Shino Kuribayashi is a Sergeant First Class of Japan Self-Defense Forces and one of the female members of Yōji Itami's Third Recon Team. Shino is a woman of petite height with huge breasts, a slim waist, and chestnut brown hair. In the manga series, she wears her smooth hair in a bob cut style, while in the anime she has it tied into a ponytail jutting out from the side. She also has a more muscular physique in the manga adaptation. Shino has a short temper and can get easily angered when someone gets on her nerves. She is also sadistic and enjoys fighting, preferably charging headlong into melee combat. This recklessness is often frowned upon by her fellow members, and often results in getting her equipment damaged beyond repair. She does not kill without reason (i.e. in self-defense or upon a superior's order) but relishes in cutting loose whenever she gets the chance. In spite of her violent nature, Shino also longs for a man in her life, once asking Yōji Itami to introduce her to single men in the Special Forces. It is revealed that she has dated before, but said "dates" inevitably involved going to a martial arts dojo for a "friendly spar", and any boyfriend who failed to beat - or at worst, match - her was summarily dumped, on the spot showing that her man must be the ones that can beat the crap out of her. Because of her tomboyish nature, however, she ironically makes herself more popular with the women in the Special Region, particularly the Warrior Bunnies; Mamina admires Shino's battle moves at Italica, and in the novels Delilah and Shino become best friends, as both are violent and reckless in battle. She is also shown to be friendly with Rory Mercury, having apparently gained her respect after they fought alongside each other in the Siege of Italica, and two are seen drinking together in the manga, and retrieving the boys together in the video. Shino is the shortest compared to the rest of Third Recon, but undoubtedly the most ferocious. One thing that will set her off the sexism and barbaric treatment of people in the Special Region. After seeing Noriko Mochizuki treated so horribly, Shino nearly beat Zorzal El Caesar to death. Kuribayashi openly dislikes Itami due to his otaku nature. Her greatest personal ambition is to enlist into Japan's elite forces, the Rangers and Special Forces, and as a result she is severely shocked upon learning that a slacker like Itami, who shies away from any kind of exertion or responsibility, has managed to become a certified member of both. Although her dislike for his laid back personality has not lessened over time, she (albeit very) slowly comes to respect him as an able field commander.