Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

The universal yardstick — size comparison with a cigarette pack.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The Zaku I : Mass Production's weapons look a bit sparse compared to the Zaku II Mass Productio

The Zaku I : Mass Production's weapons look a bit sparse compared to the Zaku II Mass Production type.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - Weapons unique to the Zaku I : Mass Production. The shoulder armor has spikes and is held in th

Weapons unique to the Zaku I : Mass Production. The shoulder armor has spikes and is held in the left hand.
The magazine on the Zaku I's dedicated machine gun is mounted on the side rather than on top.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The spike shield attachment is a bit tricky.. you need to make sure the arrowed area is firmly

The spike shield attachment is a bit tricky..
You need to make sure the arrowed area is firmly seated against both the back of the hand and the mounting point, otherwise it'll just fall right off.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - Head and cockpit hatch open. The hatch opens at a wider angle. The reason for that is explained

Head and cockpit hatch open.
The hatch opens at a wider angle. The reason for that is explained further down below.

Foot open

It's the exact same leg frame as the Zaku II.

The backpack only differs in its outer shell — the internal detail is 95% identical.

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

With the heat hawk equipped. Nice color on it;

Fully armed

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The articulation somehow feels about 2% better than the Zaku II. Probably because removing the

The articulation somehow feels about 2% better than the Zaku II.
Probably because removing the power pipes in the center of the body gives the skirt a slightly wider range of motion..

Action pose

Action pose with the Zaku I : Mass Production's machine gun

The Zaku II's machine gun is included too, but the molded color is.. the molded color is.. ;;

Heat hawk action pose

Bazooka action pose

Zaku I & Zaku II comparison

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The Zaku I : Mass Production, being the base model for the Zaku II, shares a lot in common but

The Zaku I : Mass Production, being the base model for the Zaku II, shares a lot in common but there are quite a few differences too.
For starters, the Zaku I has no power pipes on the waist or legs.

The chest area design is completely different.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The Zaku I : Mass Production's backpack is much simpler. It almost looks like a trendy modern b

The Zaku I : Mass Production's backpack is much simpler. It almost looks like a trendy modern backpack you'd see today..
The Zaku I also has something like a horn sticking out from the back of its head.

The Zaku I : Mass Production has no spikes on the shoulders.

The forearms are slightly different too. The Zaku I's side feels a bit more plain.

The Zaku I : Mass Production's legs are simpler..

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The backpack mechanics are nearly identical, but since the Zaku I : Mass Production has no powe

The backpack mechanics are nearly identical, but since the Zaku I : Mass Production has no power pipe sockets,
different parts are used to fill those spots.
I mean, it's an area that gets covered by the armor anyway.. It looks like they decided to plug the holes rather than just leave them gaping open,
which I'd say is a nice little bonus. Though honestly they could've just left them open.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - If you look closely, the hatch opening is a bit different. Part of it is due to the chest armor

If you look closely, the hatch opening is a bit different.
Part of it is due to the chest armor being shaped differently, but the Zaku I : Mass Production's hatch opens more easily and at a wider angle.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - The reason is.. on the Zaku II, the power pipes mean the hatch connection point can't move very

The reason is.. on the Zaku II, the power pipes mean the hatch connection point can't move very far.
So the Zaku II's cockpit hatch is actually pretty hard to open, whereas the Zaku I : Mass Production has no power pipes,
so the hatch connection uses a double joint that lets it open smoothly and wide.
Definitely one area where the Zaku I : Mass Production has a clear edge over the Zaku II ^^

Optional detail-up parts still included

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production - Leftover parts. Since this is a variation of the Zaku II, there are a lot of Zaku II parts left

Leftover parts. Since this is a variation of the Zaku II, there are a lot of Zaku II parts left over (especially the power pipe cables).

I'm the original Zaku, you hear me!!!

The Zaku I : Mass Production has been released as a new variation of the Zaku II. As the in-universe predecessor to the Zaku II, the Zaku I : Mass Production has a simpler look compared to the Zaku II. For starters, all the power pipes on the body are gone, and the arms, legs, shoulders, and backpack have all been simplified.

Of course, the basic skeleton is carried over directly from the Zaku II, so the articulation, gimmicks, and internal frame are nearly identical. That said, with the waist power pipes removed, the skirt somehow moves a bit better, so the legs spread a little wider. (Not that it makes a huge difference in the grand scheme of things;;)

The Zaku I : Mass Production comes in a combination of olive drab and blue, which gives it quite a military look. The blue, however, is a somewhat awkward molded color that'll really come down to personal taste. The blue on the body itself isn't too bad, but the Zaku II machine gun that's included ended up being molded in blue as well, which is a bit of an odd choice.

There's one gimmick on the Zaku I : Mass Production that's actually improved over the Zaku II, and that's the cockpit hatch opening. On the original Zaku II, the body's power pipes made the cockpit hatch quite tricky to open, and even when you did, it barely opened at all. Since the Zaku I : Mass Production has no power pipes, the cockpit hatch connection has been redesigned with a double joint, which lets it open very smoothly.

As for the weapons, the quantity is fairly reasonable, but it feels a little light compared to the Zaku II Mass Production type. The addition of the Zaku I : Mass Production's dedicated machine gun is a nice touch, and it's an interesting design choice to have the shoulder shield become a spike shield that's held in the left hand.

Overall, without the power pipes it has a clean, sleek look, and the kit feels more stable as a result. It's easier to pose, and you won't have power pipes randomly popping off while you're handling it. And of course, no tedious cleanup work on the power pipes either. In that sense, it somehow feels like a slight step up in quality over the Zaku II. Like most of the early MG Zakus, it looks really great just standing on display.

It still carries over most of the Zaku II's shortcomings, but it's a kit that gives you a distinctly different feel when you build it. It's a solid recommendation for anyone who wants a Zaku but can't stand the power pipes, and who likes this kind of military-look color scheme. That said, the value for money is a little questionable. It's got less content than the already-packed Zaku II, yet it's the same price.. I can't help but feel it would've been a much better deal at ¥2,000 ^^

MG MS-05B Zaku-I : Mass Production
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★	Almost no consideration for seam lines.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★	Color separation is nearly perfect. But some may find the molded colors a bit bleh..
Proportions	★★★★☆	Maybe it's because the power pipes are gone, but it feels smoother and more refined?
Articulation	★☆	The articulation was already mediocre on the Zaku II, but it's slightly better here
Joint Strength	★★	Elbows. Grip strength is still terrible. But no power pipes makes it way easier to handle.
Internal Frame	★★☆	Top of the head, backpack, parts of the legs. Nearly identical to the Zaku II.
Detail	★★★★☆	The design is just simpler, but the detail level is still good.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★	Feels a little lacking compared to the Zaku II.. but still decent enough.
Parts Count / Price	★★★☆	222 parts total (+ 28 detail-up parts). Parts per ¥1,000: 88.8
Uniqueness	★★★★	The pride of the original Zaku.
Dalong's Point : 63 pts.

MG Zaku-I : Mass Production | 1999. 5 | ¥2,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.