BODY: Few mascots are as instantly recognizable as the Dragon Quest Slime, and Square Enix is giving the iconic teardrop-shaped blob a bit more shine. On August 1, the company released a five-piece lineup of "Smile Slime Glitter Keychains" (スマイルスライム ラメでキラキラ！キーホルダー) exclusively through its Square Enix e-STORE.
As the name suggests, the hook here is the finish: each keychain is embedded with lamé glitter that catches the light, turning familiar Slime designs into miniature sparkling charms. It's a small twist on merchandise that has been a fixture of Dragon Quest goods for decades.
The collection spans both fan-favorite common creatures and tougher foes. Metal Slime, Slime Knight, and Marine Slime are each priced at ¥1,650, while the chunkier King Slime and the precariously stacked Slime Tower come in slightly higher at ¥1,760 each. The mix gives collectors a spread of the series' most beloved Slime variants in one drop.
For longtime players, the selection reads like a greatest-hits list. Metal Slime remains the elusive XP piñata that has frustrated grinders since the 1980s, while Slime Tower and King Slime lean into the "stacked Slime" gag that has become a series signature.
The insider take
Slime merchandise is practically its own economy in Japan, and Square Enix knows exactly how to keep it fresh. Rather than reinventing the character, releases like this apply a single seasonal gimmick—here, summer-friendly glitter—to spin up a fresh must-have for the shelves of Akihabara and Nakano's collector shops. The e-STORE exclusivity also signals confidence that Dragon Quest die-hards will buy direct, no storefront window-shopping required. In a country where the Slime is arguably a bigger household icon than any single Dragon Quest hero, a ¥1,650 sparkle is an easy sell.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).