Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Backpack with the bazooka removed

You get the standard Zeta rifle, two bazookas, and a mega beam launcher.

HGUC Z II - The mega beam rifle can only be held at this diagonal angle. It's a bit awkward to pose, but thankfully the grip

The mega beam rifle can only be held at this diagonal angle.
It's a bit awkward to pose, but thankfully the grip connection is solid. ^^

The bazooka's handle can be pushed in and out for storage on the back.

HGUC Z II - Probably due to the transformation gimmick, articulation is just so-so. The front skirt in particular makes it ha

Probably due to the transformation gimmick, articulation is just so-so.
The front skirt in particular makes it hard for the hip joints to raise up.

HGUC Z II - Mega beam launcher action (1/3)

Mega beam launcher action

Double bazooka action

Beam rifle action

Beam saber action

Beam parts can also be attached to the tip of the weapon barrel.

Transformation

First, you need to break the body down into individual sections like shown above.

Bend the knees, then detach the legs in that position.

Fold the legs flat as shown on the right.

After transforming into Waverider mode, the torso and head remain as separate leftover parts like shown above.

The sub-body unit and accessories added for Waverider mode.

First, attach the arms to the bottom section...

Attach the various parts to the Waverider sub-body unit.

After attaching the legs and side skirts on the bottom, and the bazooka on top...

HGUC Z II - Swap out the mega beam launcher's grip section, then attach it to the underside of the craft along with the stand

Swap out the mega beam launcher's grip section, then attach it to the underside of the craft along with the stand joint parts — transformation complete.

Waverider complete!
The transformation is closer to ReZEL style than the original Zeta.

HGUC Z II - Viewed from various angles on the stand (1/8)

HGUC Z II - Viewed from various angles on the stand (2/8)

HGUC Z II - Viewed from various angles on the stand (3/8)

HGUC Z II - Viewed from various angles on the stand (4/8)

HGUC Z II - Viewed from various angles on the stand (5/8)

HGUC Z II - Viewed from various angles on the stand (6/8)

Viewed from various angles on the stand

HGUC Z II - Alongside the HGUC Zeta Gundam. Z II is actually shorter up to the head, but the backpack structures make its ove

Alongside the HGUC Zeta Gundam.
Z II is actually shorter up to the head, but the backpack structures make its overall height taller.

Straight build

With the HGUC lineup running low on new subjects, they've finally gone ahead and released Z II, an MSV unit from Z Gundam. It's appeared in the Fix series before, but as an injection-molded plastic kit it's quite a rare one. ^^

According to its backstory, it was developed as a cheaper mass-production version of the Z Gundam. MSZ-006 is the Zeta Gundam, MSZ-007 is the mass-production Zeta Gundam, and Z II carries the model number MSZ-008. It only ever existed on paper, and in the end it was shelved in favor of the Zeta Plus in pretty much every way. And honestly, the concept was supposed to be a cheaper, mass-produced Zeta — but looking at the design, it seems like it'd cost more if anything... (ahem)

At first glance, the runners, molded colors, and color combination all give off a distinctly old-school vibe — it honestly wouldn't look out of place as an HGUC kit from about ten years ago. But despite that retro appearance, once you actually start building it, it definitely feels like a modern kit, with that clean, satisfying build quality you'd expect.

Above all, the blue molded color came out really deep and rich, and the combination of solid color separation and stickers makes the straight build look pretty great. Being a transformable kit, the articulation range feels a bit limited, but at least the joint strength is very solid, making it a comfortable kit to handle. It holds the large mega beam launcher without dropping it, and the bazooka that mounts on the back stays snug without any wobble, so it holds its pose nicely — which is a relief.

The transformation process is, as expected, the classic detach-and-reassemble type — you transfer the armor and limbs onto a separate Waverider sub-body unit. By giving up on a full transformation, it makes the most of the swap-out approach, and the proportions and pose stability in Waverider mode feel nearly perfect as a result. Z II's Waverider looks more like Methuss or ReZEL than the original Zeta Gundam, but either way, I'd say this is about the best transformation quality you can ask for at the HGUC level.

Anyway, I'm personally thrilled to see even a unique MSV-Z unit like this get the HGUC treatment. I'm not sure how else to put it, but there's just something "different" about it — it feels like a fun kit that both old fans and new fans can enjoy building. Definitely worth picking up. :-)

HGUC Z II | 2014.9 | ¥2,600

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.