Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Outer armor removed. Quite a lot of the mechanical frame is visible. ^^

Internal frame

Upper body front and backpack. The detail is remarkably fine.

The mechanical frame detail on the legs is also top-notch.

With just the frame, the leg articulation is even better~
There's even a movable cylinder at the knee.

Slide mold used to eliminate seam lines. Impressive.

The distinctive F2 backpack.

You can choose between a head with antennae or a plain bare one.

MG Zaku II F2 - The upper arm is a single-piece armor, and the forearm parts are split in a way that follows the body design

The upper arm is a single-piece armor, and the forearm has no visible seam lines
— the parts are split to match the body design.

True to its Zaku roots, the armaments are pretty generous~

MG Zaku II F2 - Two action-pose fixed hands are included, and their detail and natural look are practically at resin kit leve

Two action-pose fixed hands are included, and their detail and natural look are practically at resin kit level.

The cockpit hatch only opens a small section on the side of the chest.

MG Zaku II F2 - The mono-eye is movable, but unlike previous Zakus where you'd move it from behind with a lever, you just ope

The mono-eye is movable, but unlike previous Zakus where you'd move it from behind with a lever,
you just open the cover and move the mono-eye itself by hand.
It's actually more solid than the old method where that clunky lever made precise adjustment a pain. ^_^

The Sturm Faust lets you choose between two options for the rear section and snap it in.

The missiles in the missile pod can be stored and removed.

MG Zaku II F2 - To attach the missile pod, you remove the cover on the side of the leg and plug it into the polycap. It clips

To attach the missile pod, you remove the cover on the side of the leg and plug it into the polycap.
It clips in much more firmly and securely than on the older MG Zaku II.

On the right side, you can choose between two weapon packs to attach.

The Sturm Faust mounts on the left skirt.

MG Zaku II F2 - It carries on the tradition of the foot cover opening upward. The only issue is there's barely anything to se

It carries on the tradition of the foot cover opening upward.
The only issue is there's barely anything to see inside though;;

MG Zaku II F2 - Fully armed. The rear view in full armament is killer. You can mount both the bazooka and machine gun at the

Fully armed.
The rear view in full armament is killer.
You can mount both the bazooka and machine gun at the same time.

MG Zaku II F2 - The arm articulation is average, but the leg articulation has improved by leaps and bounds! The feet are spli

The arm articulation is average, but the leg articulation has improved by leaps and bounds!
The feet are split into two sections that move independently, allowing for much more natural poses.

The knee guard armor also moves as the knee bends.
And you can see the movable cylinder inside the knee too.

The leg connection points can each swing forward and backward independently, maximizing leg articulation.

MG Zaku II F2 - Oh wow~ On previous MG Zaku IIs, the skirts had very limited range of motion which really killed the leg arti

Oh wow~
On previous MG Zaku IIs, the skirts had very limited range of motion which really killed the leg articulation,
but on this Zaku II F2, the skirts flip all the way up. So they don't get in the way of the legs at all.

The shoulder structure is unique.
You can pull it outward and then swing it all the way up.

MG Zaku II F2 - The ankles use a double ball-joint system for impressive flexibility. In practice they can't move as freely a

The ankles use a double ball-joint system for impressive flexibility.
In practice they can't move as freely as you'd like due to the armor getting in the way.. but thankfully they're stiff enough that they don't wobble.

MG Zaku II F2 - You can raise the shoulder almost 90 degrees upward like that. It kind of looks like a pose straight out of R

You can raise the shoulder almost 90 degrees upward like that.
It kind of looks like a pose straight out of Resident Evil;;
But using that advanced shoulder joint, you can pull off natural poses like the one on the right.

Dynamic action pose!

Sturm Faust action pose. Though for some reason the photo makes it look like it's being used as a club;;

Kneeling pose reproduced nice and naturally~. Excellent articulation.

MG Zaku II F2 - Alongside the MG Zaku II. You can immediately tell the difference just from the molded color. The quality gap

Alongside the MG Zaku II. You can immediately tell the difference just from the molded color. The quality gap is night and day..

MG Zaku II F2 - They may look like the same machine gun, but the F2's machine gun (bottom) has far more refined detail compar

They may look like the same machine gun, but the F2's machine gun (bottom) has far more refined detail compared to the early MG Zaku II's.

The original set of 8 MG Zakus(?) all drew plenty of complaints on the quality front. You could see some genuinely fresh ideas and craftsmanship in there, but old kits are old kits. Still, given that the Zaku is one of the most popular and iconic mechs in the Gundam universe, it was a bit of a shame.

As if to put all those complaints to rest, a completely new MG Zaku was released. It's the F2, the successor to the existing Zaku II F, and it's the Zaku that appears in the Gundam 0083 series. And this new Zaku doesn't just blow the old MG Zaku's quality out of the water — it came out at an absolutely top-tier level, ranking among the very best in the MG lineup.

First off, the light, subtle pale green molded color looks incredibly premium when you see it in person. It's worlds apart from the green of the old MG Zaku. The HGUC grunt Zaku later adopted this coloring as well, but either way, this kit is in a league of its own on molded color alone.

Beyond the looks, there have been revolutionary improvements across the board — overall gimmicks, internal frame, articulation, and joint strength. The double knee joints fold almost completely, the body connection points are also doubled up, the ankles use double ball-joints, and even the feet articulate in two sections, so you can get incredibly natural poses out of this Zaku. The shoulder joints also feature a special mechanism that extends outward and bends up 90 degrees, and the overall range of arm motion has been greatly increased as well.

Joint strength is also excellent. The chronic grip strength issue with MG hands has been addressed, so it holds any weapon firmly no matter what it's carrying. Despite the improved articulation, the joints are actually sturdier than before — every part of the body holds its position tightly without any wobbling or looseness. The bonus action open hand is also nearly at resin level in terms of detail and style. It's the best-detailed hand ever included as a bonus with an MG kit.

The armaments also carry on the Zaku tradition, with a generous haul including a machine gun, Zaku bazooka, missile pod, and various smaller weapons. In particular, when fully armed, you can store both the bazooka and machine gun on the rear at the same time, which gives it an incredibly imposing look~

Unlike the somewhat rough and perfunctory mechanical frame of the older MG Zaku II, the F2's mechanical frame is more extensive and finely crafted. There are frames in the body itself, the head, and the legs, with detail that ranks among the best in the MG lineup. The leg mechanical frame in particular is outstanding, and a movable cylinder gimmick has been added at the knee as well. The backpack detail is also at a considerable level.

Overall, this is a top-tier kit with almost nothing to complain about in terms of quality. The original design itself does have a different feel from the classic old Zaku — it's a modern-style Zaku with a distinctly Katoki Hajime flavor — so it might leave purists who want the original look a little cold. Even so, being able to own a "Zaku" of this quality is just exciting. ^_^

MG MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★☆	Nearly Perfect aside from the spike armor! Dazzling slide molds.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Top-tier molded color. Flawless color separation.
Proportions	★★★★★	Very sleek, modern styling.
Articulation	★★★★☆	Excellent articulation given the style and structure.
Joint Strength	★★★★★	The whole body is appropriately stiff with no loose parts. Great grip strength!
Internal Frame	★★★★☆	Full-body frame except for the arms.
Detail	★★★★★	Top-tier. The mechanical frame detail in particular is impressive.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	Plenty of small weapons included. The resin-level hand parts are the best!
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	338 parts total. Parts per ¥1,000: 112.7. Incredibly generous.
Uniqueness	★★★★★	It's a joy to finally have a Zaku of this quality.
Dalong's Point : 97 pts.

MG Zaku II F2 | 2002.4 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.