Naruto Eyedrops (featuring Sharingan Users)
aka the Naruto Rohto Z eyedrop word vomit no one asked for
The first quarter of the year was honestly just one big Naruto marathon. During those first few days of January, the final, precious stretch of my Christmas break, Konoha lived rent-free in my mind. My kindle reading list was swamped with light novels, a download of all 72 volumes of the manga, and a sudden chaotic return to my old corner of the fanbase. That rabbit hole eventually led me to an ad that stopped me cold: a collaboration between the franchise and Rohto Pharmaceuticals.
Rohto has basically reached cult status among millennials and Gen Z in the country, and for a good reason. They’re known as the ‘cool’ brand of the eyedrop world. While most brands feel like something I would find in my grandma’s medicine cabinet (because I grew up knowing that the only eyedrop brands that were there were EyeMo or Visine, and everything else are for those who are suffering cataracts), Rohto feels more like a lifestyle staple. They’re known for that signature, intense, icy sting, a sensation that feels like your eyeballs just took a cold plunge. Even the diamond-shaped bottle is iconic, a far cry from the boring pharmacy droppers of the past.
My first real encounter with it was when a friend lent me her blue-and-white Rohto. I remember being so confused when she handed it over, since the diamond-shaped bottle looked nothing like the boring pharmacy drops I was used to. The moment I put those drops in, I was sold. I knew I had to have my own, even if I had zero clue where to actually buy one at the time. I’ve realized that “if they wanted to, they would” is a universal truth. Finding a niche Japanese collab felt like a major side quest, but after translating entire websites and crowdsourcing every friend with a Japan connection, I reached my goal. This is my “I-have-the-one-and-only-24-karat-gold-Labubu” moment.
Since I’m essentially glued to my laptop, balancing a 24/7 cycle of work and a growing stack of law school readings, my eyes usually feel the weight of it all by midnight. These drops have become my quiet ritual for relief, but the packaging? That’s a literal stab in the heart.
The front of the box features the character’s Mangekyo Sharingan. In the context of the series, it’s both a combat technique and a mark of grief. An Uchiha only awakens this visual prowess through the visceral gravity of loss. It’s a biological response to trauma, a heart-shattering evolution that only triggers after you’ve watched a loved one slip away.
Naturally, the guys at Rohto knew exactly how to twist the knife. They designed the boxes with a sort of cruel, poetic precision. When you pull back the tab, the inner flap reveals the one person, or that one definitive moment that mattered most to the character on the cover.
Sasuke’s featured moment: the little forehead taps he gets from his big brother. (cries)
The Sasuke bottle felt like installing a high-powered AC unit directly behind my eyelids. The signature Rohto kick was here, and among the three, if you just want to have a nice, relaxing reset that does not feel like a total assault on the senses, the Sasuke bottle does the job.
The two others are noticeably more potent.
Kakashi’s most treasured people are found in this photo: his beloved Team Minato. (still crying)
Kakashi’s bottle was the first one i opened among the three, under the impression that it would be the moderately potent one, but I had completely overlooked the 8+ cooling rate, which effectively meant this bottle would sting with far more clinical precision than Sasuke’s. The moment I used it, there was this distinct, prickling sensation. It turns out the formula is specifically made for contact lens users, which probably explained why I felt like my eyes had a deep-clean.
On a side note, I have also come to appreciate the brilliance of making Kakashi the face of the contact lens-specific drops. It’s such a deliberate, aesthetic choice. For context, Kakashi is the only one who isn’t a natural Sharingan user, since it was a gift given to him by one of his teammates, who was an Uchiha. (only members of the Uchiha clan had the natural power of using the eye technique).
And finally, the crowning piece! Itachi’s best moment was (undoubtedly) his redemptive closure with Sasuke (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA). This scene made an entire fanbase weep. It’s that final “I will love you always” that revealed a brother who sacrificed everything in the shadows. I will forever be in a state of absolute emotional ruin.
Naturally, I saved Itachi’s bottle for last. I’ve lingered hesitantly for quite a while. If I felt the sting in Kakashi’s drops, I was terrified of what suffering Itachi would bring. Were the eyedrops going to be as painful as the emotional anguish he felt? -__-
It turns out it’s strong, but it doesn’t sting as much as it did when I used the Kakashi eyedrops. Perhaps it had something to do with the latter specifically crafted for contact-lens users. Itachi’s drops felt more like a slow, icy burn that coated my eyes well. There’s also that relaxing feel that just made me naturally roll my eyes under the lids since the formula glided smoothly. While the Kakashi and Sasuke bottles provided relief, the Itachi bottle made things clearer and sharper, and without the strain.
Aside from the bottles, each box also contained an instruction manual (with the flipside functioning as a promotional poster). Since this was always a novelty find for me, I couldn't bear to keep the manuals tucked away and creased. I opted to have them laminated instead, giving them a second life as bookmarks.
Sometimes, we spend years wondering why we never reached for a certain thing, may it be a book, a habit, a specific bottle of ink-blue eye drops, only to realize that the delay was part of the design. Had I opted to buy the regular ones when I first took notice of it, perhaps the joy of owning one wasn’t as exciting as now, especially that I see eyedrops as a necessity.
Perhaps we don’t always miss out when we wait. Sometimes, we’re just waiting for the version of ourselves that can actually appreciate the weight of the story. As for me, it was the version of myself that loved Naruto but who now possesses the tired eyes of an adult navigating the relentless demands of work and classes.
The Naruto Shippuden x Rohto Z! collaboration, which officially launched across Japan on January 29, 2026, are available at drugstores nationwide across Japan! :)