English Dub Review: Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon “Gastric Measures”

Overview

Munami and the Restaurant Union decide to hold an eating contest, but that’s a risky venture given the appetites of some of the locals. Can Boxxo save the day once again?


Our Take

The Restaurant Owners Union decided to hold an eating contest to attract people back to the village, which has finally been rebuilt. This backfires when Shui and the Bearcats, who are gluttonous, enter the contest. Afraid for their profits, the Union begs Boxxo’s help, so he dispenses cola, which, if drunk by the contestants, will fill them faster. After an intense multi-round contest, Shui defeats the Bearcats and receives free access to Boxxo for 24 hours as her prize.

With Lammis carrying Boxxo, Shui takes them to the Origin stratum that is closest to the surface, which houses an orphanage and uses her free 24 hours to feed, wash, clothe, and entertain the children. Shui explains the Origin stratum acts as a sort of test to allow access to the lower stratum, meaning that it tends to collect people not strong enough to survive yet, like children whose parents died during the test. At night, bandits try to steal Boxxo’s items, but he takes their photos and then scares them away with mist, ice, and creepy music. The orphanage director, a retired hunter stronger than Kerioyl, later “takes care of” the bandits to protect the children.

Overall, a decent filler episode. I wasn’t sure what direction it was going to take at first, but it’s clear that Shui’s heart is in the right place, and her intentions with using Boxxo to help look out for orphan kids is a quite a noble cause since most of these kids have spent most of their years unable to see the light of day. As a character, Shui seems such a nice girl who cares deeply about the Director and the children of the Origin stratum, I can see Shui taking it over someday. Boxxo was also able to flex his skills in creative and unexpected ways that made the proceedings unexpectedly wholesome and fun. With two episodes left, I’m curious where this could go next.