Rohto Pharmaceutical's "Rohto Z!" eye drop series recently launched a collaboration with "Dragon Quest" to celebrate the franchise's 40th anniversary. The "Rohto Z! Slime King Eye Drops" went on sale on June 10.
However, on the very day of release, the product began appearing on major second-hand trading platforms, once again sparking controversy over reselling. This particular product is classified as a Category 2 or 3 pharmaceutical under Japanese law. Since major Japanese auction and second-hand trading platforms explicitly prohibit the sale of medicines, these platforms have taken measures such as deleting listings and issuing warnings.
This limited-edition product was released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of "Dragon Quest." Its main feature is a unique bottle design that replicates the popular monster, the Slime King, which garnered significant attention from players even before its official launch.
Therefore, despite its appearance resembling anime merchandise or a collectible toy, it remains legally classified as a pharmaceutical product. Reselling it not only violates platform regulations but could also lead to legal repercussions.
In Japan, selling pharmaceutical products generally requires obtaining a specific license. Unlicensed sales of medicines may constitute a violation of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act (PMD Act).
According to the regulations, unlicensed sales of pharmaceuticals can result in penalties including:
Up to 3 years imprisonment
A fine of up to 3 million yen
Or both
Major Japanese second-hand trading platforms, including Mercari and Yahoo! Auctions, prohibit the listing of pharmaceutical products. Consequently, despite being a highly sought-after collaboration item, it is not a product that ordinary users can freely buy or sell.
Multiple related sales pages on Mercari now display "This item has been deleted," while Yahoo! Auctions issued an official notice to users on June 10.
The notice stated that Category 1 to 3 pharmaceutical products are prohibited from being listed, regardless of the purpose of sale. It specifically highlighted that numerous instances of non-compliant listings for the "Rohto Z! x Dragon Quest collaboration eye drops" have been confirmed.
The incident initially drew criticism from players due to the immediate surge in reselling after the product's launch. However, because the product itself is a medicine, the situation has taken on a different dimension from typical reselling disputes. Many people only then realized that eye drops, even those designed to look like the Slime King, are still subject to pharmaceutical regulations.
This collaborative product, inspired by the popular "Dragon Quest" monster Slime King, was originally a commemorative project for the franchise's 40th anniversary. Unexpectedly, its launch became a hot topic due to reselling and legal issues, once again drawing public attention to regulations concerning pharmaceutical sales and second-hand trading platforms.