75-year-old actor Kunie Tanaka will star in his first television drama in almost 6 years. He is well known for starring in Fuji TV's "Kita no Kuni Kara" series in 1981-1982, which led to multiple special episodes up until 2002. Now, he will co-star with teen actress Mirai Shida in a story originally written by Zenzo Matsuyama five years ago.

"Kujira to Medaka" tells the story of two strangers at opposite ends of their lives who meet and form a friendship as they each try to figure out how they should live. Tanaka plays Shigeru, the successful president of a self-established company. One day, he is chased out of office when his son (Katsumi Takahashi) uses his position as vice president to take over the firm. Unsure of what to do now, he happens to meet a junior high school student named Sachiko (Shida), who is the grand-daughter of a senbei shop in Asakusa.

Matsuyama and screenwriter Shogo Kashida revised the script many times before it was finalized. Filming started on the 11th of this month and is scheduled to finish on the 31st. Fuji TV will broadcast the drama this May.

Other characters include Sachiko's grandmother (Kaoru Yachigusa) and mother (Kimiko Yo).