What a strange and random show for me to cover in episode reviews. I haven’t delved too deeply into the Summer 2023 season but there probably is a better show I could’ve gone with. But whatever, this is one of the shows I stuck with this season and to be fair, I did have fun with the show.
So anyway, the gang tracks down the Lord fiend in the Dead’s Lament stratum and they execute a plan in eliminating it. There’s something funny about Boxxo offering to douse all the henchmen with gasoline for the Hunters to ignite. After his emotional rollercoaster last episode, I half expected Boxxo to at least hesitate on killing the zombies but that thread isn’t mentioned at all in this episode. It’s small potatoes but it is also amusing to me. Surprisingly, Lammis is the one who finishes off the Lord. The job admittedly rests on her as everyone else gets blocked by the Lord’s magic but I can’t believe she actually managed to hit something for a change.
While the undead Lord does drop a coin, the battle isn’t over just yet as the monster is revealed to be a proxy for an even stronger one known as the Netherlord. The Netherlord electrocutes Hulemy and Shui and knocks out the rest, leaving Lammis and Boxxo alone to fend for themselves. Lammis initially gets into a blind rage over Hulemy and Shui’s apparent deaths but Boxxo manages to calm her down and the two work together in taking on the Netherlord. I half-expected Boxxo to use Mentos and Coke again (I’m never going to forget that, either) but I guess shoving a bunch of balloons works too. Lammis manages to destroy the Netherlord’s staff, thus forcing him to retreat. It’s not the ideal result but hey, this is the second time in a row Lammis manages to hit something so I consider that a win.
No, Hulemy and Shui don’t stay dead. The show certainly gives that impression with how brutally they get the axe and the amount of time they spend being dead. After the Netherlord retreats however, Boxxo manages to revive the two by becoming a defibrillator. I can see someone calling this a copout but it does make use of Boxxo’s potential and I can’t think of any major benefits to killing Hulemy and Shui off so I’m okay with them getting revived. During the scene, Boxxo purchases the ability to use telekinesis. Seeing Boxxo manipulate objects with his mind looks a little silly but it’d be a bigger stretch for Boxxo to save Hulemy and Shui while also taking the time to give Lammis and Kerioyl a tutorial on how to use a defibrillator. Giving Boxxo telekinesis keeps the scene concise and him exhausting his points to acquire the ability does add to his desperation.
Back home, the gang informs Director Bear about the Netherlord, who is apparently a general of the Demon Lord (it’s an isekai anime; of course there’s a Demon Lord). Director Bear decides to contact the other directors in the dungeon to gather forces to take on the Netherlord. Obviously, we won’t get to see this fight in this episode. That’s presumably being saved for later (more on that in a bit). Kerioyl considers abandoning his wish after nearly losing Shui. After the show spent so much time establishing him as the cool and experienced adventurer, it’s interesting to see him be so emotional for a change. Fortunately, the other members of Menagerie of Fools convince him to continue as their leader. I do think it’s a bit rich of Filmina to be present in this scene. I know she’s the vice captain but she did ditch the team because the dead spook her out. Could she at least acknowledge that she should’ve been there to help defend against the Netherlord?
As for the main duo, Lammis takes Boxxo to the spot where they first met and she thanks him for all of his help, both recently and in general. To their surprise, Hulemy and Shui follow them and they thank Boxxo with a kiss and push a flustered Lammis to do the same. It’s a weird moment, to be honest. Maybe this is just meant to be a friendly gesture and the girls wanted to show their appreciation beyond simply saying “Thank You”. At the same time, it opens the door to characters feeling romantically about Boxxo and you have to wonder how such a relationship could work. Again, Boxxo is a vending machine. That said, it is very funny that Hulemy and Shui beat Lammis to the punch. You’d think if someone would kiss Boxxo, Lammis would be the first one to do so.
So it has been announced that Reborn as a Vending Machine will continue with a second season. There’s the usual concerns such as competition, time, and energy but putting those aside, I’m not opposed to watching and covering this show again. Reborn as a Vending Machine is definitely one of those gimmicky isekai shows and let’s face it, that’s an oversaturated market. That said, I do think it has one of the better gimmicks I’ve seen from the genre and it executes said gimmick pretty well. I wouldn’t call this my favorite isekai show but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.
Watch Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon on Crunchyroll
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