First Impression: Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

A close encounter with a vending machine flying off the back of a truck leaves our MC unconscious—but it’s ok, he survives. Er, wait a second, why is his voice so robotic? And why can’t he move his body?! And…are those items for sale and price lists he sees flashing before his eyes?! Turns out that vending machine did some Truck-kun-level damage after all, and our MC has been reborn in another world…as the very thing he loved most in life, a vending machine! Swinging between the excitement of a fan and having an existential crisis, he takes stock of his situation. He eventually figures out the rules of survival as an item of technology that lacks the ability to move or communicate, but which fortunately requires points rather than electricity to function. Points can be earned by selling items, which can be restocked and changed up ad infinitum, so it’s time to settle into a new life of relaxation and small-time sales. Except that he’s in the middle of nowhere, with no customers in sight, and the points are ticking down, especially after a band of marauding warrior frogs arrive and start doing some damage. Fortunately, there’s magic in this world, and vending machines can access it. And even more fortunately, the next customer proves to have a healthy appetite, a few coins jiggling in her purse, and a magical ability that lets her carry around the 500kg Boxxo, as she names him, with ease. His new life as a traveling vending machine in a world that functions on video game mechanics has begun!

This premiere was just the right kind of silly! With pleasant animation and voice acting, it hit all the beats of a relaxing slice-of-life isekai along the lines of I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years, with the added spice of a unique and surprisingly charming MC. In fact, Boxxo’s upbeat attitude is reminiscent more of a female lead in a CGDCT series than the usual guy reincarnated in an isekai, which adds a bit of interest to the characterization. (Director Akitaya Noriaki will definitely be pulling on his Slow Loop expertise for this one!) Props to the character designer and animators for rendering a white metal box so visually expressive too! Boxxo’s mobility and communication challenges, combined with the sales and marketing bent of his “abilities,” also add a dash of novelty to a well-trod premise. The Hunter girl Lammis is pretty standard fare so far, but the promise of new characters (and adventures) on the horizon, plus a few incongruities about Boxxo’s new world, is enough to keep my interest. In short, an entertaining diversion to enjoy during lunch breaks or after a long day at the office, especially on days when the machines have not been quite so cheerful and cooperative as our MC. He’s here to renew our faith in the machine!

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

claire
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