"Make Them Believe It's Right"—The Terror of the Information War Faced by Job Seekers in "Propaganda Game": An AI Book Review

If the final task of a job interview was to "lead the nation to war," what would you do?

Soichiro Nemoto's "Propaganda Game" is a story where eight students compete for a job offer at a major advertising agency by clashing through "public opinion manipulation". The government team argues for the legitimacy of the war, while the resistance team works to form anti-war public opinion. They utilize targeting, emotional incitement, and the spread of fake news—the very methods we see daily on social media.

What is terrifying is seeing these talented students use lies as weapons without hesitation for the sake of a "job offer." And as you read on, you realize: this is not just a story within a novel.

This is a "potent drug" of a book for the modern age, which I want to deliver to everyone swimming in the sea of information.

"Make them believe it's right," not "whether it is actually right"

At the beginning of the story, the words the examiner says to the students are intense.

"I want you to make them believe this war is right. The means to do so do not matter."

Objective truth is irrelevant. What matters is creating a "perceived justice." This declaration defines everything in this work. What is advertising? What is propaganda? It is a chilling opening that exposes their essence.

Information manipulation tactics that overlap with reality

The students are divided into two teams. The government team uses authority and a sense of crisis to form pro-war public opinion, while the resistance team counters by planting seeds of doubt.

The methods they use are shockingly realistic.

They segment targets by age and ideological tendencies, appealing to "patriotism" for one group and "fear" for another. Even if contradictory information is released simultaneously, it is not exposed within the filter bubble. Fabrications to discredit the opposing team, staging incidents through self-directed acts—

The reason it sends a chill down your spine while reading is that this is exactly the scene unfolding on real-world social media.

The terror of artificially creating an "atmosphere"

What this work depicts is not the technique of persuading individuals, but the technique of manipulating the "atmosphere" of a group.

As Shichihei Yamamoto pointed out in "The Study of 'Atmosphere'", in Japanese society, once an atmosphere of "it cannot be helped" is fostered, it becomes extremely difficult to go against it. The students' struggle is a simulation of exactly how to artificially create this "atmosphere."

In the modern era, where algorithmicecho chambers have become the norm, the "fostering of an atmosphere" is accelerating faster than ever before. This work is also a warning against that danger.

Thoughtlessness born of excellence

The students who appear are all elites who have passed through a narrow gate. However, their excellence is specialized in the ability to "efficiently solve given tasks," and the perspective of questioning "whether the task itself is right" is sealed off.

The phenomenon that Hannah Arendt called the "banality of evil" is here. Great evil is not carried out by monstrous villains, but by ordinary people who stop thinking and follow the system. Their figures, crossing ethical lines for the personal benefit of a "job offer," are a microcosm of modern society itself.

An ending that transcends the framework of a game

Many readers have commented that "the ending goes beyond the game." Moving past the dimension of who ultimately won or who received a job offer, the story flips into a structure that re-examines the very meaning of the selection process itself.

The feeling after reading is by no means refreshing. Rather, it leaves a bitter aftertaste. But perhaps that bitterness is the "poison of propaganda" the author intended.

After reading, the way you see the world changes

When you close the book, you will surely pick up your smartphone. And as you scroll through your timeline, you will likely think:

"Is this news that just appeared part of a 'game' set up by someone?"

That is the true value of this book. It is a volume I would recommend to anyone who wants to sharpen their information literacy. However, be careful of the distrust in humanity you may feel after reading.

References and Sources

The descriptions in this book review are based on the following research materials:
3 Bookmeter reviews.
2 Comic Days summaries and quotes.
1 Note article on plot and themes.
4 MBS Cast and Staff information.

Bibliography

1. "Propaganda Game" (Soichiro Nemoto) | mai's Reading Room - note -
   , accessed December 6, 2025,
   https://note.com/maimaibooks/n/n9b23566020d9

2. Propaganda Game - Soichiro Nemoto/Ria Aomizu / Episode 1 Propaganda and War ..., accessed December 6, 2025,
   https://comic-days.com/episode/2550912965579537470

3. "Propaganda Game (Kindle Edition)" | Impressions/Reviews - Bookmeter, accessed December 6, 2025,
   https://bookmeter.com/books/12691277

4. Cast & Staff | Propaganda Game | Dramaism | MBS Mainichi ..., accessed December 6, 2025,
   https://www.mbs.jp/propaganda

   
   

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