Japan's McDonald's "Pokémon" Happy Meal card and toy promotion has been a total frenzy since it kicked off on August 8. But things really went sideways last Saturday (August 9) with the Pokémon card event, sparking outrage over rampant resales and shocking food waste. Even the official apology couldn't calm angry customers.
Amidst the chaos, a Japanese netizen recently dropped a wild idea on X: "What if you could get Pokémon cards by donating blood? Would scalpers desperately donate all their blood?" This "two birds with one stone" concept quickly ignited a heated debate about its feasibility.
The thought isn't entirely out of left field. Japan's biggest doujinshi convention, Comiket, has a long-standing partnership with the Japanese Red Cross. During every event, multiple blood donation vehicles are stationed nearby, hoping to boost blood bank supplies, often offering special gifts as incentives.
So, the concept earned some initial praise from netizens. After all, if blood donation could be tied to these highly coveted prizes, even if those pesky scalpers showed up, they wouldn't be able to clear out stock like usual. Plus, any blood they *did* donate would be a massive win for the blood bank.
While it sounds like a brilliant plan on the surface, several netizens and experts quickly pointed out the potential pitfalls. If the prize value is too high, people might lie about their eligibility for donation – things like recent medication, international travel history, specific sexual activity, or past transfusions – just to get the cards. This could seriously increase the risk of contaminating the blood supply.
What's more, while kids are the main audience for Pokémon cards, they're legally unable to donate blood, meaning the actual fans might miss out. Some also recalled Japan's old "blood selling" system, which was eventually banned because excessive donations led to a decline in blood quality and even the spread of infectious diseases. Offering easily cashable prizes, therefore, could ironically create more problems for blood banks.
As for the original poster's guess that "scalpers would desperately donate blood," one netizen shot back: "Scalpers won't donate themselves. They'll pay others to do it, or just buy the cards directly outside the donation centers." With Pokémon cards often fetching thousands of yen on the market, scalpers could easily pay someone a thousand or two yen and still turn a tidy profit.
So, while "donate blood, get Pokémon cards" is certainly a creative way to draw a crowd, the real-world execution faces massive hurdles due to blood safety and legal complexities. Maybe someday, with the right safeguards in place, it could be a possibility.
via： togetter