Mirai Shida Enjoys a Lighthearted Chat With a Tall Co-Star Ahead of Her Lead Role in “Mirai no Musuko”

Playing a mother again — for the first time in 20 years

Standing in the night streets wearing an oversized coat and a large white scarf wrapped tightly around her neck is Mirai Shida (32).

In mid-November, in Shimokitazawa (Setagaya Ward, Tokyo), a district popular with young people for subculture and vintage fashion, filming was underway for the January 2026 drama Mirai no Musuko (TBS).

“This work is a love story based on the popular comic Mirai no Musuko: A Son Fell From the Future Even Though I Haven’t Had a Boyfriend in 10 Years! (Shueisha) by Asou Kumiko and Kuromugi Hajime. Shida plays Mirai Shiokawa, an around-30 theater actress whose dreams and career are both on the brink. One day, a boy named Souta, who claims to be her son from the future—from the year 2036—appears, along with ‘Ma-kun,’ the man said to be his father. In other words, the story follows Mirai as she begins the search for ‘Ma-kun,’ her future husband.” (Television magazine writer)

Shida first appeared as a regular in a TV drama in 2005 at age 12 in The Queen’s Classroom (NTV), instantly becoming widely known as a child prodigy actress. The following year, at just 12 years old (when the broadcast began), she starred in 14-year-old Mother, playing the role of a mother, which became a major topic of discussion. This is her first time playing a mother again in about 20 years.

Filming that day took place in a residential area of Shimokitazawa. Security guards blocked off the street, and many staff members were preparing further inside. Among them, Shida—bundled up against the cold—stood out the most.

“Shida-san is really tiny, and she looked so young it was surprising—almost like a little girl. Even between takes, she was always smiling with the staff. She was really cute.” (A person watching the filming)

After a while, a very tall young man approached Shida. The two exchanged a brief greeting and began chatting, with Shida looking up at him as they talked.

“The man is actor Katsumi Hyodo (27). He is half Taiwanese and 185 cm tall. A former high school baseball player, he made his film debut in 5 Million Dollar Life (2019), but he became widely known after playing pitcher Tomohiro Nemuro in the TBS Sunday drama The Freelancer’s Top Dog (2023).

Hyodo plays Makoto Yano, a junior member of the theater troupe Mirai belongs to. Usually quiet and not one to show emotions, he secretly has feelings for Mirai. It’s safe to say he’s one of the candidates for ‘Ma-kun.’” (The same writer)

Shida is around 150 cm tall, making the height difference between her and the 185-cm Hyodo a full 35 cm. From a distance, the two chatting happily could almost look like a young father and his daughter.

What kind of developments the drama will show remains to be seen. It’s definitely one to watch.

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