REVIEW: ‘Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon’ Episode 3 — “Rebuilding”

The adventures of Boxxo and Lammis continue as Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon continues to establish itself as one of the hidden gems of the summer anime season. Reborn as a Vending Machine Episode 3 picks up after the defeat of the King Frog Fiend when Boxxo and Lammis learn that the village has been destroyed and must be rebuilt.

The village is in shambles and is going to take a lot of work to rebuild, but with Boxxo and Lammis there to help the task is not insurmountable. I really appreciated that Lammis is given more of a chance to shine in Reborn as a Vending Machine Episode 3, showcasing her strength but also her desire to help others. She is not a one-dimensional character and her relationships with those around her are highlighted quite a bit more than they had been in previous episodes.

Boxxo, meanwhile, continues to learn new vending machine abilities to serve his function of supplying the villagers with the things they want and need. Here he unlocks the ability to have a digital lottery system, something that keeps the villagers coming back for more with the hopes of winning a free item of their choice. It’s a humorous take on the effects of gambling, especially in the scene where an old man is grumbling about gambling all of his money away just for a free bottle of water. It also helps give Boxxo another avenue to try to earn more money, although the consequences of his scheme do have a knock-on effect on the villagers that he doesn’t see at first.

Since he has the ability to transform into different types of vending machines, Reborn as a Vending Machine Episode 3 finally does what I’d been expecting for a while by taking the opportunity to make a few sex jokes. Director Bear asks Boxxo to help with the problem of the villagers being distracted by unsafe sex, so Boxxo turns into a condom dispenser to help keep the villagers safe from their own recreation. I wasn’t really expecting the bit to land with me, but by avoiding spending too much time trying to hammer the same joke thread it ended up being surprisingly fine and fit with the overall tone of Director Bear’s character.

Director Bear ultimately sees Boxxo as a tool to use to achieve his own goals which is entirely different from how Lammis sees him. Getting a chance to see how other characters treat Boxxo and his abilities is important because it helps flesh out the world and the relationships between Boxxo and the others that he meets. Since he is limited in how he can communicate, it will be interesting to see how this continues to flesh out and how others use Boxxo’s abilities. Some, like Lammis, will work with him for the good of everyone else while others might have more nefarious motivations.

Reborn as a Vending Machine Episode 3 stumbles a bit more in execution than the first two episodes, but redeeming character moments still make it worth the watch. Boxxo and Lammis’ relationship continues to expand and side characters are gaining more important roles in the plot. These bode well for the rest of the series that can hopefully continue to find the balance between heartfelt character moments and the comedic factor.

Reborn as a Vending Machine Episode 3 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.