Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

Episode 6

Outside of a cute little story where Boxxo helps a random villager win the heart of the guard she has a crush on (by teaching her how to make the Oden he buys from Boxxo each night) this episode is focused on continuing the anime's main plot.

After constantly being badgered by Kerioyl, Lamis, and Boxxo finally join the Menagerie of Fools on one of their expeditions. There's no doubt that Boxxo is a valuable addition to the party. More than simply keeping everyone well-fed, he's able to supply various amenities they couldn't previously dream of—up to and including a portable toilet. However, it's a fact that his role is purely one of support—even when he dispenses a large amount of dry ice to fog up the river.

This begs the question of why Kerioyl has been so relentless about getting Boxxo into his party. Sure, he makes things more convenient but he is hardly indispensable. The Menagerie of Fools is perfectly capable of living off the land and taking out even large groups of non-boss monsters. Even when they run into the floor boss in this episode, the group can escape without much trouble. The only problem is Boxxo himself whose weight makes him impossible to rescue with Lamis out of commission. I can't help but wonder if this mission was merely supposed to lure Boxxo and Lamis into a sense of security so that Kerioyl could get the pair to where he wanted to at a later date. Of course, the appearance of the floor boss changes all that.

This episode asks the question: “How does a sentient vending machine fight a giant crocodile?” And I have to say I am impressed with the answer. The series so far has done a great job at keeping Boxxo's vending machine nature at the center of the story. He does have magic but it's purely defensive. It's never magic that's the solution to his problems, it's creative thinking and an obsessive knowledge of every vending machine ever made.

Thus, the answer to his dilemma is to both poison the monster and create a gas explosion within it. It's a creative way to win. However, I am kind of sad the story broke its established rules to do so—i.e., Boxxo was able to dispense items that didn't correspond to the type of vending machine he currently was. And while there is an in-story explanation—that it is his body and over the months he has learned to do things like this—it's kind of a letdown.

Still, the episode as a whole proves to be both exciting and entertaining—and sets up a whole new series of potential adventures with Boxxo falling to a lower level of the dungeon. Now the only question is how long it will take Lamis to catch up. (I wouldn't be surprised if she jumped into the hole after him the moment she regained consciousness).

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I do wonder if I am being a bit too skeptical of Kerioyl and his motivations but I just can't believe he'd do all he has done to win Boxxo over just for some amenities on the road.

• I don't think you're doing foreshadowing correctly if a super rare event happens just moments after mentioning it for the first time.

• My guess would be that when a floor's ecosystem is thrown massively off balance, that's when a boss monster appears.

• I hope we get to see how Lamis was taken out. I mean, she should've been the best weapon against the boss; even she can't miss a target that big.

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.