Episode 11 – Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

To say this episode has some clashing tones would be an understatement—but that’s probably why it works so well.

On one side of the story, we have a super lighthearted plot about Lamis being afraid of ghosts, zombies, and other stereotypically creepy things. Throughout the episode, she tries (and constantly fails) to overcome her fears. It’s cute—the story joking about her being like a small child afraid to go on their first errand alone. However, what’s great about this is that it does more than simply cause a few laughs. The important bit here is why Lamis is trying so hard to be brave.

There are several reasons, one of which is a matter of responsibility. At the moment, Boxxo can’t go anywhere without her—meaning the Menagerie of Fools can’t depend on Boxxo to supply a long-term boss hunt without her carrying him around. Another reason is the fear that the Menagerie of Fools will find a way to solve this problem—that they will figure out a way to take him and leave her behind. And if the series so far has taught us anything, it’s that Lamis can’t stand the idea of being without Boxxo.

This, in turn, leads us to the third reason Lamis is trying to overcome her fears: love. At this point, it’s become obvious that Lamis has fallen for Boxxo—regardless of the fact that he is a sentient vending machine. It’s only natural that she wants to look good for the object of her affection. She wants to be seen as dependable and strong not weak and timid—to show that she is a good partner to him. And while she doesn’t truly conquer her fears in this episode, with his assistance, she is able to do things she’d be unable to do alone. It’s a step in the right direction if nothing else.

Then there’s the other side of the story—namely what Boxxo does each night when Lamis and the others are asleep in the guild hall. After dark, the undead—ghosts, zombies, and flaming skulls—flood the streets. They peak in windows, seemingly envious of the living. Boxxo, despite being outside is ignored by them. This brings up the interesting note that he may be more like them than he is like his living companions. After all, what is he but a haunted object—a ghost attached to a giant box?

Yet, in the middle of this existential quandary, we get the story of a zombie child who visits Boxxo each night. Each time Boxxo gives the undead child a bottle of juice. It seems light-hearted enough and shows that perhaps the “undead” still have a bit of humanity in them that can be nourished—which is why it’s such a shock when things go full tragedy.

When Boxxo and the others leave the city on an expedition, the zombie child follows along—only to be killed by the lookouts when he tries to approach Boxxo in the middle of the night like usual. What really hurts is that this is a tragedy of Boxxo’s own making. Not only is this an unintended consequence of Boxxo basically training it to come to him each night, but his decision not to buy the telepathy skill means he is unable to communicate to the lookouts to leave the zombie child alone.

It’s a sad note to end the episode on but an important one. Going forward, Boxxo will have to overcome his fears just as Lamis is trying to. Yes, being able to talk directly with Lamis will change their relationship from the comfortable limbo it currently exists in. But if he doesn’t, it could be her who dies next time because he couldn’t say what needed to be said at a key moment.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I wonder if Lamis realizes just how head over heels she is for Boxxo. Hulemy certainly sees it.

• Huh. So the scent defuser is a permanent addition to his normal body? Interesting.

• Boy, it’s gotta be annoying to always have your hair stuck to your lips like that.

• It’s an interesting note that the Band of Gluttons have no fear of the undead—that non-humans have different instinctual fears from humans.

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

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.