Truck Industry Blames Isekai Anime & Manga For Giving Them Bad Reputation

The trucking industry in Japan is raising concerns about its image being tarnished by popular fiction.

According to transport business owners, the frequent use of trucks in scenes depicting fatal accidents in isekai anime and manga is creating a subconscious fear of trucks among viewers.

“In movies, dramas, manga, and anime, it’s almost always a truck that’s used in scenes where characters die in traffic accidents.“

During a discussion about the image problems in the transportation industry, one business owner from Shizuoka Prefecture argued that the repeated exposure to scenes, particularly in isekai anime and manga, where trucks are often depicted as causing fatal traffic accidents involving key characters, is creating a negative association with trucks, especially for young audiences.

“There’s a well-known brainwashing technique called subliminal messaging. If this is being used to imprint on the human subconscious, then the aforementioned scenes we naturally see on TV and in manga from childhood are ample material to form a fear or dislike of trucks and the like. Considering that people emotionally invest in these stories, the effect is tremendous,” he said.

He further criticized the media’s sensationalisation of real-life truck accidents, which he believes reinforces negative stereotypes.

This in turn leads to challenges in recruitment, where family members discourage working in the industry.

“..when you look at news reports, major accidents involving large vehicles are sensationally broadcasted, as if saying, ‘We’ve been waiting for this’. Viewers, thinking ‘another truck accident,’ subconsciously form new negative images, which leads to phenomena like ‘parental block’ or ‘spousal block’ during recruitment.“

The business owner also blamed mainstream media for addressing logistics and driver shortages as if they were someone else’s problem while claiming to protect logistics and drivers.

While he acknowledged the importance of free expression, he argued for a more balanced portrayal of trucks in media.

“Given that freedom of expression exists, I understand it’s inevitable, but if that’s the case, I want them to balance it by also promoting positive images of trucks.“

He then revealed that his company is actively using social media to counter the negative perception by promoting positive aspects of the trucking industry and the work of its drivers.

However, he acknowledged the challenge of overcoming the widespread influence of popular culture.

Source: Weekly Logistics News