Kit Review

Straight build + Partial paint + Panel lining + Decals

The universal yardstick — size comparison with a cigarette pack.

As expected — the Zaku-II : Mass Production comes loaded with a crazy amount of weapons~

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - The MMP-80 machine gun, machine gun magazines, missile launcher, and cracker — all exclusive t

The MMP-80 machine gun, machine gun magazines, missile launcher, and cracker — all exclusive to the Mass Production type.

Comes with 3 sets of hands: rock-paper-scissors poseable hands, open hands, and fists.

Head hatch and cockpit hatch open.

Foot top cover(?) opens.

The backpack's mechanical frame. Compared to Char's custom, only the verniers are smaller.

The legs' frame is a bit bare. Naturally identical to Char's custom.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - This Zaku-II : Mass Production kit lets you choose between the J-type (ground use) and F-type

This Zaku-II : Mass Production kit lets you choose between the J-type (ground use) and F-type (space use).
The difference between J and F comes down to whether or not there are verniers on the lower legs.
So you can remove and swap out the lower leg block as shown in the photo above.

The J-type just has plain armor, while the F-type has verniers that plug in.

Both the J-type and F-type verniers are included.

Backpack swapped to F-type verniers.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - The difference between J-type and F-type. Well, it's not exactly a super obvious difference th

The difference between J-type and F-type. Well, it's not exactly a super obvious difference though..

Rear view with the verniers swapped to F-type.

The MMP-80 machine gun has a peg that lets you rotate it 90 degrees upright.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - So you can plug it into the rear skirt like this. The bazooka storage feature is implemented t

So you can plug it into the rear skirt like this.
The bazooka storage feature is implemented the same way, and the heat hawk can also be mounted on the side.

Machine gun magazines mounted on the side, cracker mounted on the rear skirt.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - The Zaku machine gun's magazine can also be mounted on the rear skirt — you can actually mount

The Zaku machine gun's magazine can also be mounted on the rear skirt.
You can actually mount four different weapons back there: the bazooka, MMP-80 machine gun, cracker, and bazooka magazine.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - The cracker is pulled out from the center mount that holds it on the rear skirt for use. The c

The cracker is pulled out from the center mount that holds it on the rear skirt for use.
The cracker is a type of grenade designed for close combat.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - The missile launcher mounts on the leg. Each of the 3 missiles inside can be individually inse

The missile launcher mounts on the leg. Each of the 3 missiles inside can be individually inserted or removed.
However, once you push a missile all the way in, it's pretty hard to get back out;;

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - To attach the missile launcher, you need to remove a cover on the side of the leg and plug it

To attach the missile launcher, you need to remove a cover on the side of the leg and plug it into the polycap hole.

Fully armed.

The fully armed rear view looks great.

Articulation is exactly the same as Char's custom — not great.. -.-

Action pose with the Mass Production type's MMP-80 machine gun.

Heat hawk action pose.

Action pose with the Zaku machine gun — the Zaku's trademark weapon.

Bazooka action

Holding the cracker, a type of grenade, in hand.

Just like Char's custom, detail-up parts are included.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - Together with the MG Char's Zaku-II. The Mass Production type's molded color is way more easyg

Together with the MG Char's Zaku-II.
The Mass Production type's molded color is way more easygoing.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - The first difference between Char's custom and the Mass Production type is the presence or abs

The first difference between Char's custom and the Mass Production type is the presence or absence of the head antenna..

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - And the backpack vernier size is different. Char's custom has large verniers — because it's 3x

And the backpack vernier size is different. Char's custom has large verniers — because it's 3x faster, after all.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - And lastly, the lower leg vernier section is different. The photo above compares Char's custom

And lastly, the lower leg vernier section is different.
The photo above compares Char's custom with the J-type Mass Production,
so the difference is whether the lower leg verniers are there at all or not.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production - Even comparing the F-type Mass Production (which has verniers) with Char's custom, there are s

Even comparing the F-type Mass Production (which has verniers) with Char's custom, there are still some differences.
Char's custom has more vernier blocks, and the verniers themselves look a bit different too.
If you look closely, the F-type Mass Production only has one round vernier hole,
while Char's custom has three vernier holes.
So that's why Char is 3x faster!!

The MG Zaku-II : Mass Production somehow looks a little better than the MG Char's Zaku-II..

The Zaku-II : Mass Production was released almost simultaneously with Char's Zaku-II. The basic structure and body are 95% identical to Char's custom — the only differences per the lore are the head antenna, the backpack verniers, and the lower leg vernier section. Since Char's custom uses larger and more numerous verniers, that's what makes it 3x faster. Because the body is the same, the articulation and joint strength are still not great.. T_T Since the kit's basic structure and characteristics are no different from Char's custom, for detailed info please refer to the MG Zaku-II Char's Custom review.

First of all, the Mass Production type's molded color is way more easygoing compared to Char's custom's dodgy sausage color. The subtle military-look greenish molded color gives a pretty nice feel. The Mass Production type comes in two variants — the F-type, which you could call the space/general use version, and the J-type for ground operations — but the difference isn't huge, just whether or not there are verniers on the lower legs. So you can choose to build it as either J-type or F-type depending on whether you attach the verniers. (See photos)

The Mass Production type also boasts a rich weapons loadout just like Char's custom, though the lineup is a bit different. The Magella Attack gun and Sturm Faust from Char's custom are gone, but in their place you get the MMP-80 machine gun, a leg-mounted missile launcher, and the cracker grenade. The Zaku machine gun, bazooka, and heat hawk are all still included. Overall it actually looks like it has slightly more weapons than Char's custom. (Note: the Mass Production type is missing the one spare magazine for the Zaku machine gun that came with Char's custom)

Anyway, along with Char's custom this is one of the kits that opened the first chapter of MG, and while there are plenty of shortcomings in various areas, it's still a classic with its own fresh ideas and craftsmanship. In particular, the molded color is a big step up from Char's custom's somewhat off-putting color, which earns it some extra points. The structure is still a bit fragile for posing, but for a static standing display the proportions are great and the fully armed look is really satisfying — so it's an old-school MG you can recommend without hesitation.^^

MG MS-06F/J Zaku-II : Mass Production
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★	Almost no consideration for seam lines.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★☆	Perfect color separation. Subtle yet weighty molded color.
Proportions	★★★★	Just standing there, it looks nice and solid~
Articulation	★	Arms and legs can't bend past 90 degrees. Limited ankle range of motion. Skirt restrictions are severe.
Joint Strength	★	Elbow and knee joints are weak. Pipes fall out easily. Grip strength is lacking. -.-
Internal Frame	★★	Top of the head, backpack, parts of the legs. Details are a bit soft.
Detail	★★★★	Lots of panel lines. Molding even on the inside of the armor. Shows a lot of effort in its own way.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	As always, this much weaponry and accessories for ¥2500 is top-notch!
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	Total 309 parts (+ 28 detail-up parts). Parts per ¥1000: 123.6
Uniqueness	★★★★★	It's a typical variation, but somehow it looks better than Char's custom.
Dalong's Point : 63 pts.

MG Zaku-II : Mass Production | 1995. 10 | ¥2,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.