Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon (自動販売機に生まれ変わった俺は迷宮を彷徨う) is a Japanese light novel series written by Hirukuma and illustrated by Itsuwa Kato (original edition) and Yūki Hagure (revised edition). The series was originally published in 2016 as a web novel by the author on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. Later on the same year, it was acquired and then published by Kadokawa Shoten. A manga adaptation by Kunieda began serialization ASCII Media Works's shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh in August 2021. Both the light novel and manga have been licensed in English by Yen Press. An anime television series adaptation by Studio Gokumi and AXsiZ aired from July to September 2023. A second season has been announced.

The light novels follow its titular protagonist who, after being crushed to death by a vending machine, is reincarnated as a sentient vending machine in a fantasy dungeon world. Shortly after, he meets and befriends Lammis, a young female hunter, who names him "Boxxo" and starts carrying him around on her back, and the two start their adventures in the dungeon together. Reborn as a Vending Machine has been well received by critics, with particular praise being directed at the novels' unique take on the isekai genre.

Synopsis
An unnamed Japanese vending machine otaku is crushed to death by a falling vending machine. He then finds himself reincarnated in a fantasy world dungeon as a sentient vending machine. He can see and hear but is immobile, with his speech being limited to stock Japanese vending machine phrases, such as "Hello there" or "Too bad". As a vending machine, he discovers he can dispense any item he has bought in his previous life, and can convert such sales to points, thus sustaining his existence. He is also able to use excess coins to add additional features to his vending machine body, and is able to choose which items he stocks or the prices of the items. Furthermore, he is able to use some magical abilities, including shapeshifting, invisibility, telekinesis, and a defensive vector force field.

Stuck in the middle of the wilderness, he encounters Lammis, a young female hunter. Lammis has a skill known as the Blessing of Might, which makes her ridiculously strong, but is still a novice at managing her own strength. The two quickly become friends after he dispenses some food items to the hungry Lammis. Calling him "Boxxo", she starts carrying him around on her back, which allows Boxxo to move, with his weight allowing her to more easily control her strength. The series chronicle their adventures as they start exploring the world's dungeon, and the characters they meet on the way.

Background
In the afterword of the first volume, Hirukuma describes his envisioning and road to publishing Reborn as a Vending Machine. He at first helped out with his father's independent business, though after the death of his father from a high fall, he closed down the business and began pursuing his ambition as a writer. He described his father's death as giving him acrophobia, and recalled thinking "I don't know when I'm going to die like my father did. One question went through my mind: Have I done everything I've wanted to in life?" On a site for submitting novels called Shōsetsuka ni Narō, he submitted several works of fiction, including another isekai piece and a battle-themed novel set in the near future, but was initially unsuccessful.

He described Reborn as a Vending Machine as his final effort after four years of unsuccessfully getting his novels published. Hirukuma wrote that "[it was] one that was fantastical and original, and one that I wanted to write [...] This wasn't a novel where I adjusted for the readers' needs, or had to think long and hard about constructing a plot. Instead, I pursued my own style for it, and it garnered the most popularity of all my work".

Characters

 * Boxxo (ハッコン)
 * The titular protagonist of the series. Boxxo was reincarnated as a sentient vending machine with an A.I. helper in a fantasy world after being crushed by a falling vending machine in Japan. His name was given to him by Lammis; his real name is unknown. As a vending machine, Boxxo can only communicate in stock vending machine phrases and cannot move by himself, although he can still speak to himself in his thoughts. He can see and hear just fine though. In his past life, he was a vending machine otaku. He is able to sell and dispense an unlimited number of products (all of which are things he bought in his past life) for all sorts of useful purposes, which rewards him with points which he can use to upgrade himself. He is also built with a small digital slot machine can can reward people with free products. Sometimes, he gives stuff for free usually if it is an emergency. He can also change his shape, make himself invisible, gather knowledge based on his surroundings, record or photograph things with his camera and can then display them on his screen, use telekinesis, deploy solar panels to recharge without spending points (gained after an upgrade), increase his durability, repair damages to himself, make product leftovers disappear, and create a force field around him for defense, but can also briefly allow objects and people to pass through his force field if he wants to. Although he looks normal to other characters, he can also display eyes.
 * The titular protagonist of the series. Boxxo was reincarnated as a sentient vending machine with an A.I. helper in a fantasy world after being crushed by a falling vending machine in Japan. His name was given to him by Lammis; his real name is unknown. As a vending machine, Boxxo can only communicate in stock vending machine phrases and cannot move by himself, although he can still speak to himself in his thoughts. He can see and hear just fine though. In his past life, he was a vending machine otaku. He is able to sell and dispense an unlimited number of products (all of which are things he bought in his past life) for all sorts of useful purposes, which rewards him with points which he can use to upgrade himself. He is also built with a small digital slot machine can can reward people with free products. Sometimes, he gives stuff for free usually if it is an emergency. He can also change his shape, make himself invisible, gather knowledge based on his surroundings, record or photograph things with his camera and can then display them on his screen, use telekinesis, deploy solar panels to recharge without spending points (gained after an upgrade), increase his durability, repair damages to himself, make product leftovers disappear, and create a force field around him for defense, but can also briefly allow objects and people to pass through his force field if he wants to. Although he looks normal to other characters, he can also display eyes.


 * Lammis (ラッミス)
 * Lammis is a young, energetic hunter with a special ability called the Blessing of Might, which makes her incredibly strong, though she is clumsy at controlling her own strength. This is resolved when she carries Boxxo on her back, allowing her better control of her strength. She lives in the Clearflow Lake village. Lammis is Boxxo's primary love interest. She hates losing her friends and loved ones due to her parents being killed by monsters. Due to her closeness with Boxxo, she gets emotionally upset if they are separated and will stop at nothing to find him.
 * Lammis is a young, energetic hunter with a special ability called the Blessing of Might, which makes her incredibly strong, though she is clumsy at controlling her own strength. This is resolved when she carries Boxxo on her back, allowing her better control of her strength. She lives in the Clearflow Lake village. Lammis is Boxxo's primary love interest. She hates losing her friends and loved ones due to her parents being killed by monsters. Due to her closeness with Boxxo, she gets emotionally upset if they are separated and will stop at nothing to find him.


 * Hulemy (ヒュールミ)
 * A childhood friend of Lammis, who behaves more like an older sister towards her. Hulemy is a talented magical item engineer and has a tomboyish personality. She is the first to discover that Boxxo contains a human soul inside him. Like Lammis, she lost her parents in a monster attack.
 * A childhood friend of Lammis, who behaves more like an older sister towards her. Hulemy is a talented magical item engineer and has a tomboyish personality. She is the first to discover that Boxxo contains a human soul inside him. Like Lammis, she lost her parents in a monster attack.


 * Suori (スオリ)
 * The daughter of a rich tycoon. Suori is selfish, arrogant, and strong-willed, but yet has taken an interest in Boxxo. She even once tried to buy him. She also has a rival named Kanashi, whom she hates above all else.
 * The daughter of a rich tycoon. Suori is selfish, arrogant, and strong-willed, but yet has taken an interest in Boxxo. She even once tried to buy him. She also has a rival named Kanashi, whom she hates above all else.


 * Director Bear (熊会長)
 * A (literal) bear who is the director of the Hunter's Association on the Clearflow Lake stratum of the dungeon, where the series is primarily set. His real name is Bommy.
 * A (literal) bear who is the director of the Hunter's Association on the Clearflow Lake stratum of the dungeon, where the series is primarily set. His real name is Bommy.


 * Kerioyl (ケリオイル)
 * The leader of the Menagerie of Fools. He is quite arrogant, but is a very skilled fighter. Boxxo has personal issues towards him.
 * The leader of the Menagerie of Fools. He is quite arrogant, but is a very skilled fighter. Boxxo has personal issues towards him.


 * Filmina (フィルミナ)
 * Kerioyl's second-in-command of the Menagerie of Fools. She usually gets annoyed with her leader's arrogance.
 * Kerioyl's second-in-command of the Menagerie of Fools. She usually gets annoyed with her leader's arrogance.


 * Shui (シュイ)
 * A huntress whom Lammis befriends. She serves as a member of the Menagerie of Fools and has a monstrous appetite.
 * A huntress whom Lammis befriends. She serves as a member of the Menagerie of Fools and has a monstrous appetite.


 * Shirley (シャーリィ)
 * A cordial, beautiful woman who runs a "business of the night" on the Clearflow Lake stratum. Boxxo takes a liking to her.
 * A cordial, beautiful woman who runs a "business of the night" on the Clearflow Lake stratum. Boxxo takes a liking to her.


 * Aka (赤)
 * A member of the Menagerie of Fools.
 * A member of the Menagerie of Fools.


 * Shiro (白)
 * A member of the Menagerie of Fools.
 * A member of the Menagerie of Fools.


 * Mishuel (ミシュエル)
 * A handsome hunter who appears charming on the outside, but on the inside, he is shown to be somewhat of a coward and is not good with communication. He later joins the Menagerie of Fools.
 * A handsome hunter who appears charming on the outside, but on the inside, he is shown to be somewhat of a coward and is not good with communication. He later joins the Menagerie of Fools.


 * Suco, Pell, Short and Mikenne
 * A group of Bearcats who later join the Menagerie of Fools.


 * Okami and Munami
 * Two women who own an inn at the Clearflow Lake village. They are good friends with Lammis.


 * Acowi
 * The owner of the Merchants Exchange.


 * Gocguy
 * Acowi's helper.


 * Karios and Gorth
 * Two guards who protect the Clearflow Lake village.


 * Gugoyle
 * A thief who tried to rob Boxxo once.


 * May
 * A young girl who once won a free item from Boxxo.


 * Kanashi
 * Suori's rival, who has the same personality as her.


 * Netherlord
 * A powerful undead who serves the Demon Lord. It is implied that he knows Boxxo's origins.


 * Demon Lord
 * The dungeon's strongest monster and the master of the Netherlord.

Light novel
Hirukuma originally published the series online as a web novel on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō from March 3 to December 18, 2016.

Kadokawa Shoten acquired the series to publish it as a light novel. The first volume was published on August 1, 2016. Yen Press announced during the Anime Expo 2017 that they had licensed the series for an English release.

With the release of the anime adaptation, Kadokawa released a new edition of the light novel with new illustrations provided by Yūki Hagure.

Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Kunieda began serialization in ASCII Media Works's shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh on August 27, 2021. The manga is also licensed by Yen Press as a digital simulpublication.

Anime
In August 2022, it was announced that the series would be receiving an anime adaptation. It was later confirmed to be a television series produced by Slow Curve, animated by Studio Gokumi and AXsiZ and directed by Noriaki Akitaya, with Masayuki Takahashi serving as assistant director, Tatsuya Takahashi overseeing series scripts, Takahiro Sakai adapting Yūki Hagure's designs for animation, and Yuta Uraki and Keita Takahashi composing the music. The series aired from July 5 to September 20, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme song is "Fanfare" (ファンファーレ) by BRADIO, while the ending theme song is "Itsumo no Soup" (いつものスープ) by Peel the Apple. Crunchyroll licensed the series outside of Asia.

After the final episode of the first season, a second season was announced, but there is currently no release date.

Reception
Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon has received positive reviews. Theron Martin of Anime News Network reviewed the first volume positively, praising its unique take on the isekai genre, Hirukuma's writing style, and the relationship between Boxxo and Lammis, which he found to be impressive and not having to "resort to hackneyed gimmicks". Summarizing that "this novel's bizarre concept is what will catch people's attention, but the writing is good enough to keep it", some criticism was directed at the light novel's fanservice, which Martin found to be forced, and the RPG elements typical of isekai series. Similarly, Robert Frazer of UK Anime Network found Reborn as a Vending Machine to be "a blast of fresh air to flush out the stale isekai genre", as "it’s fun and different to defeat the villain with Diet Coke and Mentos instead of just firing a Saiyan blast at a higher powerlevel".

Rebecca Silverman and Lynzee Loveridge, in Anime News Network's Spring 2018 Light Novel Guide, also praised the setting but found the writing to "read like fan-fiction-level quality". They ultimately found the volume to "still [be] an engaging read", with its format adapted the same way as So I'm a Spider, So What? and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Loveridge further included the protagonist's "Death By Vending Machine" on her list of the "7 Strangest Isekai Deaths".