Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Upper body close-up. The Zaku I's characteristically simple legs.

HGUC Zaku I - The backpack verniers that were lazily left out on the Zaku II are properly done on the Zaku I. The mono-eye is

The backpack verniers that were lazily left out on the Zaku II are properly done on the Zaku I.
The mono-eye is of course movable. Interestingly, there's an adjustment lever just below the neck.

HGUC Zaku I - Two head covers are included — one for regular soldiers and one for commanders. But somehow the blue Zaku just

Two head covers are included — one for regular soldiers and one for commanders.
But somehow the blue Zaku just looks better with the soldier type. :-)
A bazooka rack on the shoulder has been added, something that wasn't even on the MG.

The rack folds up too. Plenty of weapons, just like a Zaku should have.

HGUC Zaku I - Five hands in total. Great detail and style all around. The open action hand looks sharp too. Pretty much ident

Five hands in total. Great detail and style all around.
The open action hand looks sharp too. Pretty much identical to what's included with the HGUC Marasai.

HGUC Zaku I - Separate weapon hands are included for the machine gun and the bazooka. Look closely and you'll notice the wris

Separate weapon hands are included for the machine gun and the bazooka.
Look closely and you'll notice the wrist angle is different depending on the weapon.

HGUC Zaku I - The Sturm Faust mounts on the spike shield, not on the side skirt. The articulation is a step up from the HGUC

The Sturm Faust mounts on the spike shield, not on the side skirt.
The articulation is a step up from the HGUC Zaku II.
The arms in particular use double joints to achieve a full bend.

HGUC Zaku I - The HGUC Zaku II already had pretty flexible ankles, but the Zaku I improves on them even further. The double-j

The HGUC Zaku II already had pretty flexible ankles, but the Zaku I improves on them even further.
The double-joint design lets the foot itself extend outward…
…which makes for such natural ground-contact poses with the foot bent.

Excellent articulation! (It really does look freezing cold!) What a flexible body…

HGUC Zaku I - Action pose. The natural two-handed machine gun grip is even better than the MG. (1/3)

Action pose. The natural two-handed machine gun grip is even better than the MG.

HGUC Zaku I - Natural bazooka firing pose. (1/3)

Natural bazooka firing pose.

HGUC Zaku I - Fully armed rear view. The heat hawk can be stored on the side skirt, and the bazooka can be mounted on the rea

Fully armed rear view. The heat hawk can be stored on the side skirt, and the bazooka can be mounted on the rear.

HGUC Zaku I - Together with the HGUC Zaku II. This Zaku I wasn't just a retool of the existing HGUC Zaku II — it was built co

Together with the HGUC Zaku II. This Zaku I wasn't just a retool of the existing HGUC Zaku II —
— it was built completely from scratch.

All the HGUC Zakus together, alongside the MG Zaku I. An HGUC that blows the MG clean out of the water.

HGUC Zaku I - Last up — pop off the cover on the rear end and there's a stand mount underneath. You can put it on the univers

Last up — pop off the cover on the rear end and there's a stand mount underneath.
You can put it on the universal action base included with other HGUC kits and strike some action poses.

HGUC Zaku I - The highlight of the Zaku I has to be the shoulder attack using that bare, spike-free shoulder! (The seam lines

The highlight of the Zaku I has to be the shoulder attack using that bare, spike-free shoulder!
(The seam lines and gate marks are very visible too! ;;)

Straight build photos.

After the HGUC lineup had been riding the wave of Zeta releases for a while, the classic Zaku I suddenly showed up out of nowhere. And not as a retool of the existing (already pretty good) Zaku II molds — it came out as a completely new kit. Personally, I'd been expecting a Zaku I based on the existing HGUC Zaku II to come out eventually, so getting an improved, all-new version instead was a real unexpected treat. ^^

First off, the overall proportions have been revised and it just feels more "Zaku-like" than before. Articulation has also been bumped up compared to the existing HGUC Zaku II — the standouts being the double-jointed elbows that achieve a full bend, and the even more flexible ankles. The shoulder range of motion feels more natural too, and the expanded hand part selection makes action poses look that much more convincing. Oh, and the backpack verniers that were left out on the Zaku II have made a comeback (?) as well.

True to its Zaku roots, the weapon loadout is generous — machine gun, bazooka, Sturm Faust, heat hawk, all included as standard, plus a shoulder bazooka rack that wasn't even on the MG.

The biggest appeal of this completely revamped HGUC Zaku is just how naturally it pulls off action poses. Even in photos you can see it moving with a flexibility you wouldn't expect from a 1/144 kit, but getting your hands on it and posing it yourself makes that feeling even more real. When I'm doing reviews I end up putting kits through all kinds of action poses, and not many kits snap into the pose you want as easily as this HGUC Zaku I. It genuinely feels like a high-quality action figure! The compact size and joints that are just firm enough to hold a pose make it even better.

It came out around the same time as the MG Gouf, but honestly this kit is more satisfying than even that pretty impressive MG. If I'm really stretching to find some downsides… the weapon storage in fully armed mode is a bit loose. The bazooka on the rear mount and the heat hawk on the side skirt tend to fall off too easily. The bazooka and machine gun are fine since they're assembled with their dedicated hands holding them, but the spike shield isn't the most secure by design and tends to pop off if you're not careful. On top of that, the molded color — given the nature of the color scheme — makes seam lines and gate marks a bit more noticeable than you'd like.

Minor issues aside, I'd go so far as to call this the best HGUC kit for the money. It's cheap, it's small, but it's charming and just a joy to handle. A lot of people seem to have a vague "meh" impression of the Zaku I and remember it as an unpopular unit, but actually building this HGUC Zaku I should flip that preconception right on its head. :-)

HGUC Zaku I | 2006.5 | ¥1,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.