Silver Express puts asexual and aromantic identities at the heart of Japanese film
Japanese film Silver Express explores asexuality, aromanticism and intimacy through director Miki Tanaka’s debut feature at Busan 2026.
Director Miki Tanaka’s debut feature explores the challenges of intimacy through two characters whose experiences of attraction differ.
Japanese film Silver Express is bringing asexuality and aromanticism into focus at the 2026 Busan International Film Festival, with a story about two people who find understanding in one another but discover that their needs are not the same.
Directed by Miki Tanaka, the 97-minute drama follows Chieri, played by Yui Okamoto, a young woman who has never experienced romantic or sexual attraction. She feels out of place in a society where romance is often treated as an essential part of life, until she meets Shoya, played by Hayato Kurihara.
Shoya also lacks romantic attraction, but he experiences physical desire, creating a fundamental difference between the pair. Their growing connection becomes complicated when the understanding they initially share is tested by experiences and boundaries that do not fully align.
How Silver Express explores LGBTQ+ identity
The film distinguishes between asexuality, which concerns sexual attraction, and aromanticism, which concerns romantic attraction. Chieri is asexual, while Shoya is aromantic, and their relationship illustrates why these identities should not be treated as interchangeable.
Rather than presenting their connection as a straightforward romance, Tanaka examines the pressure people can face when their experiences do not match society’s expectations. The story also considers how intimacy depends on respecting another person’s boundaries, even when emotional closeness exists.
That focus gives the film a relevant place in conversations about LGBTQ+ representation, particularly as asexual and aromantic characters remain less visible in mainstream cinema than many conventional romantic leads.
Who is director Miki Tanaka?
Silver Express marks Tanaka’s feature directorial debut. She previously attracted international attention with her short film Ginger Boy, which competed in the La Cinef section at Cannes in 2024 and received third prize.
The feature screened in competition at the Busan International Film Festival, which runs from 6 to 15 October 2026. A wider release date and UK distribution details have not been confirmed in the festival information available.
With its focus on attraction, intimacy and personal boundaries, Silver Express offers a perspective on relationships that challenges the assumption that everyone experiences romance and sexual desire in the same way.
