Kit Review

Straight build + panel lining + partial paint

Size comparison with the universal standard — a cigarette pack.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - It's a beam sniper rifle, so yeah, it's pretty long. (1/3)

It's a beam sniper rifle, so yeah, it's pretty long.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The backpack has decent color separation too. The backpack and rifle are connected by a pipe. When

The backpack has decent color separation too.
The backpack and rifle are connected by a pipe.
When the beam sniper rifle isn't in use, you can hook the power pipe onto the backpack itself to keep it in place.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - Upper body close-up. The chest armor design is different from the standard Zaku I. Gives off a bit

Upper body close-up. The chest armor design is different from the standard Zaku I. Gives off a bit of a Ramba Ral vibe, doesn't it? ^^
The unique knee support gimmick on the right leg really catches your eye.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The head style is a bit different too. The camera eye area is so exposed that using a sticker just

The head style is a bit different too. The camera eye area is so exposed that using a sticker just doesn't look right,
so I painted it with clear orange instead of using a sticker.
If you pop the head open, the mono-eye camera looks like it might be poseable...
but it's completely fixed and doesn't budge at all. ^^;

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The knee support gimmick — one of the most unique features of this kit. It extends and retracts wit

The knee support gimmick — one of the most unique features of this kit.
It extends and retracts with a triple joint like that.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The beam sniper rifle for the Zaku I Sniper Type. The shoulder stock area lacks color separation, s

The beam sniper rifle for the Zaku I Sniper Type.
The shoulder stock area lacks color separation, so I did a quick partial paint in black.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - There are 5 hand types included, but oddly there are only 4 hand back parts, so one ends up like th

There are 5 hand types included, but oddly there are only 4 hand back parts, so one ends up like that.
You have to swap the hand covers around as needed...
Action-style hands. Both the detail and proportions are great.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The pipe connecting the backpack and rifle is secured internally with a wire, but the connections a

The pipe connecting the backpack and rifle is secured internally with a wire...
but the connections at both ends are a bit weak and tend to pop off easily during posing.
Being careful when plugging it in doesn't really help much either...
You're probably better off just gluing it in place with strong adhesive.

The articulation is the same as the existing HGUC Zaku I. Excellent.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - Action pose (1/3)

Action pose

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - This pose right here... it's not an exaggeration to say this kit exists just to pull off this kneel

This pose right here... it's not an exaggeration to say this kit exists just to pull off this kneeling sniper pose.

Thanks to the knee support, the stance is much more upright and stable.

The shoulder and arm articulation is great, so you can pull off natural-looking poses.

Standard Zaku machine gun action

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The kneeling pose is just goooood~~ No stand is included with this kit, but it's designed so you ca

The kneeling pose is just goooood~~ No stand is included with this kit, but
it's designed so you can borrow a universal action base.

Low stance pose

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The mono-eye doesn't move, but if you pull it out and reinsert it rotated, you can force it to stay

The mono-eye doesn't move, but if you pull it out and reinsert it rotated, you can force it to stay fixed pointing 90 degrees upward. ^^;

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - Together with the original HGUC Zaku I kit. The original was already high quality, but the Zaku I S

Together with the original HGUC Zaku I kit. The original was already high quality, but the Zaku I Sniper Type came out even better.
The Sniper Type differs from the standard in the chest armor, head, and right knee.
The photo on the right shows the HGUC Zaku I trio.

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type - The desert Zaku trio. Together with the MG Zaku II F2 Federation Type and the HGUC Zaku II Igloo ve

The desert Zaku trio. Together with the MG Zaku II F2 Federation Type and the HGUC Zaku II Igloo version.
But... all three have a different feel to their yellowish color.
Together with the MG GM Sniper, which came out around the same time. Was the winter of 2006 the season of snipers? ^^;;

Either way, the build feel and quality are just outstanding.

Straight build photos

At the 2006 summer hobby show, a rather out-of-nowhere lineup was announced — the HGUC "Harmony of Gundam" series. Originally introduced as MS units appearing in a game, the in-universe backstory has them as prototypes developed for localized combat near the end of the One Year War — that kind of setting.

At first there was some harsh criticism along the lines of "what kind of lore-bending cash grab is this~" but honestly, there's no need to overthink it — just think of it as a new MSV series and it fits perfectly. A lot of folks enjoyed the old MSV back in the day, so there's no reason to hate on a freshly born MSV series, right? ^^; (Breaking established lore left and right is basically MSV tradition anyway...) And on top of that, the quality is excellent as you'd expect from a modern release. The overall design is also overseen by none other than our man Okawara-sensei, so it has a nicely refined look to it.

First off, the differences from the existing Zaku I: the head and chest armor have been refined into a sleeker style, a beam sniper rifle and dedicated backpack have been added, and a knee support gimmick has been added as well. There are so many changes and additions overall that it feels much more fresh rather than just a simple variation. And if you look closely at the new chest design, you can see the design of Ramba Ral's Zaku I in there. Maybe a Ramba Ral custom Zaku I variation isn't too far off...

The detail on the added beam sniper rifle and backpack is very satisfying. The color separation is a little lacking, but for HG level this is more than good enough. ^^ The backpack and rifle connect via a separate pipe part which adds to the realism, but the downside is that the pipe connection is weak and keeps coming loose;; Using glue isn't easy either since the pipe is rubber, so it doesn't bond well... It'd be nice if it held with a bit less rigidity, but the pipe is stiff enough that it seems to pop off even more easily when you move things around.

The base HGUC Zaku I already has excellent articulation being a new-tooled kit, so action poses come together very naturally and easily overall. On top of that, the unique knee support gimmick has been added — it folds and extends with a triple joint, making kneeling poses look incredibly natural. It's a genuinely fun feature you'd rarely see outside of an MSV kit.

And I'm not sure what happened here, but there are 5 detailed hand parts included... yet only 4 hand back covers, so you're one short. It seems like you're just supposed to swap them around as needed, which isn't very Bandai-like. ^^; Oh, and one more thing — the head antenna comes off easily and is easy to lose, so be careful... (T_T)

Even for those of us used to Bandai's lore-breaking ways, this Zaku I Sniper Type takes it to the extreme by adopting a beam weapon that completely contradicts the established setting;; But setting aside the lore, as a kit in its own right, the level of completion is almost too good. Excellent detail, gimmicks, proportions, articulation, joint strength... a top-tier kit with nothing to complain about!

Above all else, this kit has an exceptionally satisfying build feel unlike anything else. It's almost strange how good it felt in my hands while building it... it feels much better than even the original Zaku I. The price is on the affordable side too, so if you're getting a little tired of the same old kits, this is one I'd recommend a million times over without hesitation. :-)

HGUC Zaku I Sniper Type | 2006.11 | ¥1,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.