If you're at all familair with isekai anime, you're probably already aware of the Truck-kun meme. If the story requires the main character to die at the very beginning in order to be reborn in another world or form, chances are they'll get hit by a truck with no warning. After all, having them get murdered by someone would establish a dark tone from the start, deaths by train are almost always suicide and getting hit by a car isn't always lethal, so trucks are used to kickstart the plot in series like Mushoku Tensei, Wise Man's Grandchild, Zombie Land Saga, and even non-isekais like Astro Boy back in 1952.

It's been a popular meme for years, but not everyone is happy about it. An anonymous transportation manager from Shizuoka Prefecture has spoken out against the truck-kun plot device, saying it's a form of subliminal messaging that makes kids afraid of large vehicles and has a negative impact on the Japanese logistics industry. He said:

"There is a well-known brainwashing method called subliminal, but if this is done by imprinting on the human subconscious, then the aforementioned scene that jumps into the TV and cartoons that we take for granted since childhood is enough material to form a fear and disgust for trucks and the like, let alone the fact that the story alone is emotionally invested in the content. The effect is enormous."

While teaching kids about road safety is a good thing, he fears the phenomenon turns people off the idea of letting their family members become a truck driver and impacting the country's supply chains:

"On the other hand, when we look at the news, news about serious accidents caused by large vehicles is sensationalized as if it was something we had been expecting. The viewer thinks 'another truck?' and a new negative image is imprinted on the subconscious, leading to phenomena such as 'parent blocking' and 'wife blocking' when hiring. As for the major media, they have been doing negative campaigns against trucks up until now, and they take up the 2024 logistics issue as if it is someone else's problem, and lie and say, 'Protect logistics and drivers.'"

He goes on to say that the media, particularly the anime industry, should be more fair to truck drivers to stop giving them such bad PR.

"As long as there is freedom of expression, I think it can't be helped, but if that's the case, I would like them to strike a balance by sending out messages that improve the image of trucks."

Do you guys think he has a point? Should the Truck-kun trope be retired? What's your favorite Truck-kun moment? Leave your thoughts in the comments!