BODY: Summer in Japan is brutal, and Square Enix has a suitably adorable solution: reusable ice packs molded after Dragon Quest's most beloved mascot. Starting today, July 4, the "Smile Slime Hiyahiya Slime" and "Hiyahiya King Slime" cooling packs go on sale through the Square Enix e-STORE.
The standard Slime version rings up at ¥880, while the beefier King Slime commands ¥1,100 — a fitting price hierarchy for the monster world's royalty. "Hiyahiya" is Japanese onomatopoeia for that pleasant, chilly sensation, making the naming a small linguistic wink for fans who catch it.
These are part of Square Enix's long-running "Smile Slime" merchandise line, a catch-all brand for the cute, non-menacing side of the Dragon Quest universe. Cooling packs like these are typically tossed in the freezer and slipped into a bag, lunchbox, or cooler — practical gear dressed up as a 40-year-old video game icon.
The timing is no accident. Launching in early July puts these squarely at the front of Japan's punishing summer heat, when portable cooling accessories become genuine daily essentials rather than novelties.
The insider take
From Tokyo, the "Smile Slime" strategy is a masterclass in franchise longevity. Dragon Quest is a near-sacred institution here — its release dates once reportedly influenced school-skipping enough to spark urban legends about laws requiring launches on weekends. By spinning the Slime into everyday lifestyle goods, from ice packs to plushies to homeware, Square Enix keeps the brand woven into fans' daily lives during the long gaps between mainline titles. It's low-risk, high-affection merchandising that turns a monster into a household companion — and it works precisely because the Slime is instantly recognizable to three generations of Japanese players.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).