Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

Episode 9

With this week's episode, Reborn as a Vending Machine joins the elite and exclusive group of anime that remember that women do have periods. It's funny how often this is overlooked in anime—especially in fantasy anime where you'd figure the lack of modern painkillers and hygiene products would make for a notable reoccurring experience. Of course, with periods being a societal taboo, they are often ignored in general—to the point where men are often stupidly ignorant of how they affect women physically and mentally.

Boxxo is no exception to this. He has been with Lamis for months at this point. And while he noticed her feeling a bit under the weather from time to time, he never put the pieces together—until she collapsed and he had to change shape not to crush her.

However, what's great about Boxxo is that while he was ignorant, the moment he understood the situation, he did his best to help. Sure, it would be great if painkiller medicine vending machines were a thing in Japan but as they're not, the best he can do is make her more comfortable by providing her pads and becoming a coin-operated washing machine to clean her clothes. This series of events is also a key moment in the story of the newest supporting character, Mishuel.

Mishuel is a typical fantasy hero. Physically attractive, well-equipped, incredibly powerful. Women lust after him everywhere he goes. But like it has done many times before, Reborn as a Vending Machine pokes fun at this trope by showing that Mishuel's aloof pretty-boy personality is just a mask he wears to cover his crippling anxiety when it comes to social situations.

Simply put, Mishuel does not understand why people treat him differently than everyone else. This causes him to be overly self-conscious—worried that he'll stumble headlong into some social faux or another. His “aloofness” is simply him choosing the most neutral answers he can to avoid making any kind of mistake (which is, of course, in and of itself a mistake).

Even after joining Boxxo and Lamis on their newest job, he remains apart from the group as much as possible. However, once the period incident occurs, he loses much of his awkwardness towards the rest of the group. Seeing someone else caught in a potentially embarrassing situation and seeing everyone react with empathy rather than scorn lets him feel safe among the small group.

From then on he begins opening up to the group little by little, and even lets them help with one of his problems (after making sure they can handle themselves in battle). One great thing about all this is that Mishuel isn't suddenly cured by the end of the episode. He is still incredibly anxious around strangers. Even if the Menagerie of Fools has been recommended by Lamis and Boxxo, the idea of trying to fit in with a guild of people is completely overwhelming. That said, Mishuel has made his first step toward working through his issues. Many more are to come but he's proved to himself that he can get along with others—and that will, hopefully, be the motivation he needs to keep trying in the future.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Mishuel's attack is about half as strong as a floor boss'. I wonder how powerful Lamis' full-power punch is in comparison.

• I'm constantly surprised more people aren't wary of the girl effortlessly carrying a giant metal box on her back. It's basically a warning sign saying “I have super strength. Watch out!”

• First, contraceptives for sex workers, now feminine hygiene products. It's nice to see an anime so open about topics like these.

• I wonder what Boxxo turned into when Lamis collapsed. It was probably the cardboard vending machine, right?

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

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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.