BODY: The most beloved mascots in Japanese gaming just got a shimmering glow-up. On August 1, Square Enix began selling five new "Smile Slime: Glitter and Sparkle! Keychains" through its official Square Enix e-STORE, giving fans a chance to clip a little Dragon Quest magic onto their bags and keys.
The lineup covers a nice spread of the franchise's iconic slime variants. Metal Slime, Slime Knight, and Marine Slime each go for ¥1,650, while the chunkier King Slime and the teetering Slime Tower command ¥1,760 apiece. Each keychain is packed with embedded glitter (rame in Japanese) and lights up, catching the eye whether you're indoors or out in the summer sun.
For the uninitiated, the slime isn't just any enemy. First appearing in the original Dragon Quest in 1986, the blue teardrop-shaped blob designed by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has become the unofficial face of the entire series and one of gaming's most recognizable characters in Japan. The "Smile Slime" brand is Square Enix's dedicated merchandise line for these creatures, spanning plushies, homeware, and stationery.
The choice of variants here rewards longtime players. Metal Slime is the notoriously fast, high-XP foe that fans obsessively hunt for level grinding, while Slime Knight and King Slime are fan favorites that have appeared across numerous entries.
The insider take
Slime merchandise is practically its own economy in Japan. Walk through any Square Enix Cafe or the Artnia store beside the company's Shinjuku headquarters, and you'll find shelves devoted entirely to these blobs. Glitter and light-up gimmicks are a staple tactic here — Japanese goods culture thrives on small, collectible items with a tactile or visual hook, and slimes are the safest bet Square Enix has. Expect these to move quickly, especially the ¥1,760 King Slime, which perennially outsells its smaller cousins.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).