Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Detail shots (1/4)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

The legs have a skeletal inner frame structure.

A solid, no-frills weapons loadout

The magazines and bazooka can be mounted on the rear skirt.

A total of 6 hands are included.

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Two different right-hand parts for holding weapons are included, and an extra hand has been added

Two different right-hand parts for holding weapons are included, and an extra hand has been added that gives you a better grip on the heat hawk.

HGUC Char's Zaku II - The bazooka and Zaku machine gun have pegs that plug into the hand to lock them in place, but the

The bazooka and Zaku machine gun have pegs that plug into the hand to lock them in place,
but the weak connection on the finger parts makes this more of an issue.

You can rotate the mono-eye by moving the lever underneath the head.

For some reason, the left spike armor keeps falling off..

HGUC Char's Zaku II - The joint parts for the action base. They connect securely because they slot in with a T-shaped pe

The joint parts for the action base.
They connect securely because they slot in with a T-shaped peg.

Leftover parts

Excellent limb articulation

The waist and neck have quite a good range of motion too.

Forward/backward shoulder articulation

You can swap in the soft-material skirt parts (right).

The soft skirt matches in color, but the surface texture is different, so it feels slightly off.

Thanks to the soft skirt, the leg articulation range is pushed even further.

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Action poses (1/8)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Action poses (2/8)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Action poses (3/8)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Action poses (4/8)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Action poses (5/8)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - Action poses (6/8)

Action poses

HGUC Char's Zaku II - With the soft skirt on, you can pull off dynamic poses like kneeling or a flying kick. (1/4)

HGUC Char's Zaku II - With the soft skirt on, you can pull off dynamic poses like kneeling or a flying kick. (2/4)

With the soft skirt on, you can pull off dynamic poses like kneeling or a flying kick.

HGUC Char's Zaku II released in 2002. (1/2)

HGUC Char's Zaku II released in 2002. (2/2)

Alongside the HGUC Char's Zaku II released in 2002.

Alongside the HGUC Gundam Revive.

Straight build

The HGUC Char's Zaku II has finally gotten a renewal after 18 years. Previously, the First Gundam was renewed under the "Revive" label and the Z Gundam under "G.E.P." This time, the Zaku has been released under the official name "HG Char's Zaku II" — and oddly enough, even though it's clearly numbered HGUC #234, the "HGUC" name is nowhere to be found in the product title. This makes it pretty hard to tell at a glance whether you're looking at the new version or the old one, so make sure to check the box art carefully before you buy.

Compared to the Zaku II from 18 years ago, the proportions have been updated to a more modern look with a smaller head and upper body, and polycap-less joints have been adopted. The neck and waist joints are incomparably more flexible than before, and the joint strength is solid — maybe even a little too solid.

A particularly nice touch is the inclusion of extra soft-material skirt parts — swap those in and the leg articulation range goes way up. You can get a natural kneeling pose as well as dynamic mid-air kick stances. On top of that, the standard weapons loadout is well-stocked, and various joint parts let you mount them on the skirt. The T-shaped action base joint parts also let you pull off stable aerial poses with ease.

All in all, this is a top-quality HGUC Zaku that's been upgraded to a level that's simply incomparable to the one from 18 years ago — but there's still a nagging sense of disappointment. For starters, the feel of assembly and articulation is far from the smooth experience you'd expect from recent MG or HGUC kits. The plastic is stiff, which makes cleaning up gates a chore, and the joints move with an unusually heavy resistance that's uncharacteristic of HGUC and frankly uncomfortable. At the same time, the left spike armor has a weak hold and keeps popping off, and the finger and hand-back parts don't connect firmly enough, so you end up dropping the weapons a lot.

It all gives the impression that mold testing wasn't thorough enough and the tolerances weren't quite dialed in. I mean, this is the *Zaku* — you'd think they would've poured a bit more craftsmanship into it. It actually feels less smooth than the HG Origin Zakus, which had a similar overall setup. Part of it is probably just that expectations were sky-high after an 18-year wait for a Zaku renewal.. hmm.

Anyway, I'm left wishing it had been a bit smoother, but it's still well worth building for any Gunpla fan. :-)

HGUC Char's Zaku II | 2020.7 | ¥1,600

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.