Kit Review

Straight build + Partial paint + Panel lining + Decals

The universal yardstick — size comparison with a cigarette pack.

MG Char's Zaku-II - The weapons are more generous than the RX-78 v1.0. You get a bazooka, Magellatype cannon, Sturm Faus

The weapons are more generous than the RX-78 v1.0.
You get a bazooka, Magellatype cannon, Sturm Faust, and Heat Hawk — quite a haul!

You can open the hatch on the head to see the internal mechanics.

Move the lever on the lower back of the head left or right and the mono-eye moves.

The mechanism works like this — it's a gear-driven system.

Cockpit hatch open

The top of the foot opens upward like a hatch.

You choose one of two styles for the head antenna.

The biggest feature of the MG Zaku! The power pipe bead-threading assembly.

MG Char's Zaku-II - A soft rubber tube is wrapped with a metal spring, and then the pipe segments are threaded on one by

A soft rubber tube is wrapped with a metal spring,
and then the pipe segments are threaded on one by one — it really brings out the realism.

MG Char's Zaku-II - The internal mechanical frame of the backpack. (A bit cheeky that panel lining was only added to the v

The internal mechanical frame of the backpack. (A bit cheeky that panel lining was only added to the visible parts;;)

The legs also have a mechanical frame, though it looks a bit rough.

Sole detail. Not bad at all.

A mounting part opens up on the rear so you can store the bazooka there.

Sturm Fausts can be attached to either side of the waist.

The magazine on the Zaku machine gun has a loop that can be pulled out, so...

it can be mounted on the rear like that. The Heat Hawk can also be mounted on the side.

Among the various MG Zakus, these are the special weapons included with Char's Zaku-II.
The Magellatype cannon and the Sturm Faust.

Three sets of hands are included: scissors/rock/paper hands, open hands, and fists.

Fully armed

MG Char's Zaku-II - Articulation is nothing special — an honest 90 degrees. Above all, the skirt's range of motion is wa

Articulation is nothing special — an honest 90 degrees.
Above all, the skirt's range of motion is way too narrow so you really can't lift the legs at all,
and the ankle range of motion is limited, making dynamic poses pretty tough.

The shoulder joints can also move forward and backward.

The shoulder joints can also move up and down a little.

Come at me! Action pose

Bazooka action

Heat hawk action

Sturm Faust action. (Rhythmic gymnastics?)

MG Char's Zaku-II - The Magellatype cannon — also commonly known as the Tank Gun — is meant to be held with both hands,

The Magellatype cannon — also commonly known as the Tank Gun — is meant to be held with both hands, but...
the grip strength is weak and the mounting point is awkward, so it's really hard to keep it held up;;;

The detail-up parts that were all the rage in early MG kits are included with the Zaku too.

MG Char's Zaku-II - Together with the RX-78 v1.0. In many ways, these two are the pair that opened a new chapter in Gunp

Together with the RX-78 v1.0. In many ways, these two are the pair that opened a new chapter in Gunpla.

The second MG to follow the RX-78 v1.0 was naturally the "Zaku II."
And naturally, Char's custom unit came out first. The overall kit composition and concept feels similar to the RX-78 v1.0. For its time, it was one innovative attempt after another...

First, I have to mention the molded color — a lot of people say the pink unique to Char came out looking a bit garish. The digital camera doesn't capture this pink accurately so it looks a bit less off in photos, but seeing it in person it's... well, it's the classic cheap sausage color;; It's quite a contrast compared to the calm, deep pink of the HGUC Char's Zaku or the MG Char's Rick Dom and Z'Gok released much later. You could call it a candy toy kind of color. Anyway, this is one kit that generally doesn't get good marks for its molded color.

Setting the molded color aside and just looking at the kit itself, you can find the bold, innovative attempts of early MG scattered throughout. The RX-78 v1.0 was already a big shock when it came out in '95 with all its fresh ideas, but the MG Zaku II shows signs of even more careful attention to detail than the RX-78 v1.0.

First, the incredibly realistic power pipes — the feel of the power pipes, made by sleeving a soft tube with a metal spring and then threading each segment on one by one, was truly sensational back in '95. Sure, actually building them means grinding through the tedious work of trimming each pipe segment one by one, but either way, the texture of the pipes once finished was top-notch. The look of the metal spring peeking through between the pipe segments is great too.

The overall proportions are also solid — even looking at it now, it's not awkward at all and gives off a nice, hefty feel. In terms of proportions alone, it's clearly a step above the RX-78 v1.0. The weapons are also more generous compared to the RX-78 v1.0 — on top of the standard Zaku machine gun, Heat Hawk, and bazooka, you also get the Magellatype cannon and Sturm Faust, which is quite a treat considering the ¥2500 price tag.

The mechanical frame is partially applied to the head, backpack, legs, and a few other areas, but being an early MG, the detail doesn't feel all that impressive. You just have to appreciate the attempt itself. On the other hand, there are plenty of panel lines all over the body, and molds are even added to the inside of the armor in places — you can see the craftsman spirit of the developers doing their best to squeeze out as much detail as the technology of the time would allow.

This MG Zaku II is an early MG, so naturally it carries quite a few drawbacks. First, the joints are loose — the forearm and knee joints in particular are on the weak side, and the hand grip isn't great either, so holding weapons isn't easy. On top of that, the power pipes that pop off with the slightest movement are something to watch out for. Overall durability is pretty lacking in a lot of ways.

Articulation too — the arms and legs do at least bend a basic 90 degrees, but the chunky feet severely limit ankle movement, and critically, the range of motion on the movable skirts is way too narrow to move the legs much at all. So, as you can see from the action poses above, the range of poses you can pull off is very limited. About all you can do is spread the legs slightly and stand it up.

Be that as it may, even though it carries the drawbacks of an early MG, it's not a bad-looking kit just standing on display. The price is affordable and with over 300 parts the kit is quite substantial. If you can get past the molded color, there's the massive appeal of it being THE!! pink Zaku of that certain someone. Looking back from 2005, when I'm revisiting this review ten years later, it's only natural that I can't rate the quality highly — but it does feel like the developers put even more care into this one than the MG RX-78 v1.0. Rediscovering the craftsman spirit and innovative attempts tucked into every corner, I find myself reliving the amazement and excitement I felt when I first saw it back in '95.

If you're someone who's only built the latest high-quality MGs and you try building this kit, you'll probably find the quality a bit rough, but you'll get a strange... a peculiarly ~strange~ feeling. Something like: "The early MG developers back in the day really put a lot of effort into designing this... it feels a bit all over the place, but they really sweated the small stuff everywhere..." That kind of feeling.

The MG Zaku line started with this Char's Zaku-II and has continued to release all kinds of variations since, with the same basic kit characteristics but in a wide range of colors and styles. So there are plenty of options to choose from — if you're a Gunpla enthusiast, you probably owe it to yourself to own at least one of the MG Zakus! ^^+

Like this, the early MGs were kits that seemed to be trying to inject a military feel into Gunpla, emphasizing detail-up parts and mechanical gimmicks. Overall MG quality has steadily improved over time, but I don't think I'm alone in feeling a certain nostalgia for the challenging craftsman spirit of these early MGs compared to the more formulaic recent releases...

MG MS-06S Char's Zaku-II
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★	Almost no consideration for seam lines.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★	Color separation is nearly perfect, but the molded color is pretty rough...
Proportions	★★★★	Just standing there on display, the look is nice and solid~
Articulation	★	Arms and legs don't bend past 90 degrees. Ankle range of motion is narrow. Skirt restrictions are severe.
Joint Strength	★	Elbow and knee joints are weak. Pipes pop off easily. Grip strength is lacking -.-
Internal Frame	★★	Top of the head, backpack, parts of the legs. Detail is a bit rough.
Detail	★★★★	Lots of panel lines. Molds even on the inside of the armor. Signs of considerable effort all around.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	For ¥2500, this weapon loadout is a perfect score.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	299 parts total (+ 28 detail-up parts). Parts per ¥1000: 119.6
Uniqueness	★★★★★	An early MG, yet a step above the RX-78 v1.0. Signs of tremendous effort throughout.
Dalong's Point : 60 pts.

MG Char's Zaku-II | 1995. 10 | ¥2,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.