Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2

Episode 5

When it comes down to it, this is one of those episodes that's really about tying up loose ends. With Hulemy having reconnected the teleport gate between the Origin Stratum and the Clear Lake Stratum, the civilians are being evacuated. However, that leaves the question of what to do about the Origin Stratum. Do they destroy the gate on their way out to prevent the Demon Lord's horde from utilizing it—and in the process cut themselves off from the only place where they might eventually be able to escape the dungeon directly—or do they hunt down the Demon Lord's minion that's coordinating the monster attacks?

Given the issues that would come with fully abandoning the floor, it's no real surprise that our heroes go for the latter option. Plus, with both the Band of Gluttons and Menagerie of Fools present—not to mention Boxxo and Lamis—there's no better chance to take the fight to the enemy. And really, that's all this episode is—the planning and execution of their hunt. It's all rather straight forward, though Boxxo does break out a new vending machine form that allows him to make a near infinite amount of ball bearings which gets us a few fun scenes.

The only deeper aspect of this episode is the scene centered around Lamis' view of racism. Unsurprisingly, for a woman in love with a literal vending machine, she doesn't have an ounce of prejudice in her whole body. Finding out that one of her friends is a half-vampire doesn't even phase her. To her, it's what's on the inside that counts.

This also ties into the scene where Boxxo wants Lamis to throw him into a group of enemies—and she's firmly against it. Lamis can't see Boxxo as anything less than a person and refuses to treat him as a simple weapon or tool to be used. More than that, there is the danger aspect. Boxxo himself may not feel he'd be in danger but Lamis can't help but worry. However, while in the past she would have tried to stop him from going off alone—by force if needed—she has now grown enough to see a different path. If she can't hold him back, then she'll just go along for the ride.

All in all, while far from a bad episode, this is very much one that falls into the “all plot, little substance” category. There's little in the way of danger for our heroes and there's nothing we learn here that hasn't already been implied—or that we wouldn't have found out naturally later. However, it is a necessary episode that shows our heroes are thinking seriously about the implications of their actions—and are planning for the time when they're going to need to do more than simply survive. And with two stratums cleared of the Demon Lord's influence, the logical question remains: What's next?

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Plastic Bottles filled with tiny metal balls… congrats Boxxo, that's definitely a lethal weapon.

• I know this show plays it a bit fast and loose when it comes to what is a vending machine and what isn't, but I never would have thought that there would have been a real-world argument about whether a pachinko ball dispenser is one or not.

• Lamis wishing she was stronger will never stop being a good joke.

• The cooking scene is great because it shows that Boxxo is more than just his vending machine powers. He can make people happy even without them.

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 2 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.