Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

A more stripped-down weapons loadout, as per the setting

Leftover parts

The articulation is the same as the existing HG Origin Zaku.

Action poses

HG Doan's Zaku - Alongside the HG Zaku II C/C-5 Type released in The Origin series. The basic frame is the same, but

Alongside the HG Zaku II C/C-5 Type released in The Origin series.
The basic frame is the same, but a good number of the exterior parts — including the head — have been replaced with newly sculpted pieces.

A head comparison shot between a regular(?) Zaku and Doan's Zaku.

Together with the HG RX-78 Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island version released at the same time.

This kit is the HG Doan's Zaku released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. It was released to commemorate the theatrical film "Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island," alongside the HG RX-78 Gundam (Cucuruz Doan's Island version). Compared to the Gundam, which was a color variant, Doan's Zaku has quite a number of newly sculpted parts applied to it.

Above all, the biggest highlight of this kit is that gloriously droopy Zaku head. It's a case of turning into plastic the weirdly proportioned Zaku drawn in episode 15 of the TV anime Mobile Suit Gundam (the Cucuruz Doan episode) — infamous for its off-model animation (a.k.a. "sakuga崩壊," or animation breakdown). It was an episode notorious for having some of the worst off-model animation in all of Gundam, yet ironically it became famous precisely because of those grotesque drawings. Eventually that notoriety grew so big that the episode got spun off into its own theatrical film — setting quite the precedent that even a train-wreck of animation can become a hit (artistically speaking :-)).

HG Doan's Zaku - Off-model animation from episode 15 of Mobile Suit Gundam — the Cucuruz Doan episode. They went ahe

Off-model animation from episode 15 of Mobile Suit Gundam — the Cucuruz Doan episode.
They went ahead and made the droopy Zaku head into a plastic model,
but the off-model Gundam face? Even the almighty Bandai probably couldn't bring themselves to go there.. ㄷㄷ

Anyway, you can now build that hilariously pouty Zaku head — the one that looks like it's sulking with its mouth jutting out — as a plastic model. Even the partially damaged power pipes are faithfully recreated in fine detail. Beyond that, newly sculpted parts have been applied across quite a few areas showing battle damage: the left leg, foot, skirt, forearm, and shoulder shield. Thanks to all that, it actually comes out looking better than the source material.

As for the rest of the kit, the body frame itself carries over from the HG Origin version Zaku, so it comes with solid joint strength and decent articulation — making it a pretty stress-free kit to pose. That said, reflecting the situation in the source material, the only weapon included is the Heat Hawk, which does limit the range of poses you can pull off.

Either way, since it's based on the HG Origin Zaku, the overall quality is still top-notch — an A-tier HG plastic model. If you enjoyed Cucuruz Doan's Island or you've been eyeing that charmingly goofy Zaku head, this is definitely one worth picking up without hesitation. :-)

HG Doan's Zaku | 2022.7 | ¥2,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.