The Night of Baba Yaga

by Akira Otani · 2025

In 1979 Tokyo, outcast mixed‑race fighter Yoriko Shindo is seized by the Naiki‑kai yakuza and forced to become the bodyguard for Shoko Naiki, the boss’s reclusive, doll‑like daughter. What begins as a brutal captivity quickly turns into a volatile partnership as Yoriko’s fierce protectiveness clashes with Shoko’s sheltered innocence. Surrounded by ruthless men and a world that wants them both dead, the two women forge a bond that defies gender, loyalty, and survival. Akira Otani’s debut is a lean, pulse‑pounding queer thriller—part "Kill Bill," part "The Handmaiden," part "Thelma & Louise"—that explores how love can bloom in the darkest underworld.