Kit Review

Straight build
+ panel lining + decals

Size comparison with the universal standard — a cigarette pack

Upper and lower body close-up shots

The verniers of the man who goes 3x faster!

The backpack of the man who goes 3x faster!

The backpack nozzles move up and down about this much.

Cockpit hatch open

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - As expected, you get to choose between two head antenna options — the TV version and the rea

As expected, you get to choose between two head antenna options — the TV version and the real version.

Removing the outer armor

Internal frame

I can see him...

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - The mechanical frame of his exclusive backpack. The inner frame after removing the backpack

The mechanical frame of his exclusive backpack. The inner frame after removing the backpack frame is identical to the mass production type.

The backpack frame detail is great.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - The backpack armor is split into three sections like that, which gives it more depth compare

The backpack armor is split into three sections like that,
which gives it more depth compared to the old one-piece backpack armor.

The frame around the leg verniers.

Excellent frame articulation, as expected.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - The weapons are a bit on the simple side. The missile pod from the mass production type is g

The weapons are a bit on the simple side.
The missile pod from the mass production type is gone, replaced by a crane instead.

Fully armed

~ Comparison with Zaku II J-type
v2.0 ~

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Goes without saying, but the only differences from the mass production type are the backpack

Goes without saying, but the only differences from the mass production type are the backpack and the frame. :-)

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - First thing you notice — the kill marks on the shield are way different! ^^;; But the number

First thing you notice — the kill marks on the shield are way different! ^^;;
But the number of kill marks is 2.5x, not 3x;;

Comparison of the mass production J-type and Char's custom backpack

Char's custom backpack is nice and chunky~

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Leg verniers. Since the J-type was originally designed for ground use, it has no verniers at

Leg verniers. Since the J-type was originally designed for ground use, it has no verniers at all.
To compare verniers with the mass production type, you'd probably have to wait for the upcoming mass production F-type.

~ Comparison with v1.0 ~

Just like the mass production type... the 2.0 is just a tad more compact in height.

Going from 1.0 to 2.0, the kill marks have exactly doubled.
(The consistency!)

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Say what you will about the 2.0's "bad sausage" molded color... it's still way better than t

Say what you will about the 2.0's "bad sausage" molded color...
it's still way better than the indescribably cheap food-toy vibe of the 1.0's molded color. :-)

Going to 2.0, the backpack got a little smaller and the design became simpler.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Surprisingly, there were big changes in the style and number of verniers. That aside, the di

Surprisingly, there were big changes in the style and number of verniers.
That aside, the difference in foot size between the 1.0 and 2.0 is really something else -_-;;

Either way, the 2.0 is in a completely different league — no contest.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Bonus comparison with the HGUC... The "bad sausage" color on the MG 2.0 has more of a matte,

Bonus comparison with the HGUC... The "bad sausage" color on the MG 2.0 has more of a matte, subtle feel, so it does look better.

Needless to say, the articulation is excellent.

The unavoidable ultimate Zaku 2.0 begging pose.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Zaku machine gun action (1/3)

Zaku machine gun action

Bazooka and heat hawk action

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Exclusive to Char's Zaku II v2.0! Instead of the missile pod from the mass production type,

Exclusive to Char's Zaku II v2.0!
Instead of the missile pod from the mass production type, it comes with a boarding crane.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Crane articulation and detail (1/3)

Crane articulation and detail

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - It's all for a display like the one above. By the way, in the rightmost photo the cockpit ha

It's all for a display like the one above.
By the way, in the rightmost photo the cockpit hatch is only half open...
The fit is a bit loose, so it doesn't stay fully open very well.

Review
within a Review

Action Base : Char Aznable color
Released May 2007.
¥700

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - This is! The dedicated action base released alongside the MG Char's Zaku v2.0. It's the same

This is! The dedicated action base released alongside the MG Char's Zaku v2.0.
It's the same structure as the existing action base, just with the molded color changed to red and some stickers added.

Runner shots

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - With the addition of these stickers, the price went up ¥150 from the regular action base pri

With the addition of these stickers, the price went up from the regular action base price of ¥550
by ¥150, releasing at ¥700.
Click on the photo and I've made it large enough to read the text clearly. :-)

Parts diagram.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Straight build vs. with stickers applied. The look changes dramatically~~~ Stickers doing 20

Straight build vs. with stickers applied.
The look changes dramatically~~~ Stickers doing 200% of the work!

Such flashy stickers...

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - That Zeon mark sticker is huge and a real pain to apply. On top of that, the sticker is thin

That Zeon mark sticker is huge and a real pain to apply.
On top of that, the sticker is thin, has strong adhesive, and tends to curl up;;
It's a lot easier if you trim all around it with scissors like on the right.
I always cut away the excess border around stickers on every kit with a knife — it just looks so much cleaner.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - There are stickers all over the place -.-; With that many stickers to put on... applying the

There are stickers all over the place -.-;
With that many stickers to put on...
Applying the stickers takes way longer than actually building the kit;

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - A nameplate is also included, and you can choose one of four options. Two of the nameplates

A nameplate is also included, and you can choose one of four options.
Two of the nameplates have quotes on them instead of names... roughly:
"Show me what a Federation MS can do!"
"Damn, are Federation MSes monsters!?"
Those are the quotes. It's a bit random for a nameplate;;
But they're (relatively) famous lines from the show.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Stickers on the stand (1/3)

Stickers on the stand

Front stickers

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Alright, first let's strike a pose on the stand... (just sitting like this already looks pre

Alright, first let's strike a pose on the stand... (just sitting like this already looks pretty cool)

Stand on! Roughly recreating the box art pose.

Action poses that are only possible with the stand.

Befitting Char's unit, it looks great from the back too.

Oh, what's that! It's the Char Kick!

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 - Recreating a famous scene from the show using the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079. A.k.a. the gro

Recreating a famous scene from the show using the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079. A.k.a. the groin kick.
Poor MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079... T_T

Straight build

Following the mass production Zaku II v2.0, Char's custom Zaku II v2.0 was released as a matter of course. True to the original lore, aside from the backpack and leg verniers that make it 3x faster, it's identical to the standard mass production Zaku — so for a detailed breakdown of the 2.0 Zaku overall, please refer to the Zaku II Mass Production J-type Review.

As you know, the mass production Zaku II v2.0 came out with sensationally high quality, so its variation, Char's Zaku, is naturally at the same level. The backpack and leg verniers have changed quite a bit in style compared to the old 1.0 version of Char's Zaku — overall it's got a simpler, more refined look that fits with the times. The leg verniers in particular have been completely redesigned, both in shape and in number. Back in the 1.0, there wasn't much difference between the Zaku F type and Char's Zaku in terms of leg verniers. The 2.0 F type hasn't come out yet, but the three verniers on the back of the legs definitely hint that this kit is Char's exclusive — the one that goes three times faster.

First off, Char's units have always had trouble with molded colors across the board, but my personal take is that this MG Char's Zaku has the best molded color of any Char kit to date. The 1.0 version's molded color was straight-up 70s bad sausage — honestly it had a really cheap, toy-like feel to it. The HGUC Char's Zaku was a bit better, but it still had a slightly cheap vibe to it.

The defining characteristic of the MG Char's Zaku v2.0's molded color is that it's an overall subtle, matte sausage-pink tone. This color can be a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but I think that's less about the molding technology and more about the inherently tricky pinkish color that comes with Char as a special character. Pink tends to look cheap unless it's a really beautiful, flower-like shade.. The important thing is, out of all the Char kits released so far, this one looks the most composed and premium. In other words, if you don't like this molded color either, there's really no alternative.. because that's just what the original color is.

Anyway, true to being a 2.0, the molded color has been upgraded to some degree, and the key accessory change compared to the mass production J-type is the addition of a crane. Instead of the missile pod from before, a boarding crane has been added — and it's surprisingly pretty ^_^; It's a three-stage folding design, small but clean and neat. It's a totally unexpected bonus you never would have seen coming.

And while it's sold separately, the dedicated action base released alongside the MG Char's Zaku II v2.0 — say what you will about the upselling — is pretty enough that it's well worth picking up. It pairs so perfectly with Char's Zaku..
Bandai, You win! -_-;)/

As expected, the articulation is incredible.. the frame is top-notch.. the latest multi-color injection technology.. one-piece parts to hide seam lines, and so on — this kit shows off an absolutely supreme level of quality that needs no further explanation. One interesting thing is that, as if hinting at a massive lineup of variations to come, there were switches for system injection scattered across nearly every runner.. and yet Char's external armor completely ignored all that and was molded on brand new runners instead. So why even bother putting in the switches then??? My guess — and this lines up with what Zakurar suggested — is that a high-quality Char's Zaku like this is expected to be a long-running steady bestseller, so to avoid mold damage (i.e., they plan to milk it for all it's worth), they went ahead and cut new runners specifically for Char's parts. That seems to be the right call.

Most of the important points were already covered in the mass production v2.0 review, so here you just need to look at what's changed between the mass production and Char's custom. Either way, as befits what is arguably Bandai's most ambitious kit ever (at least up to now), once you actually build it you won't have any regrets — it's a masterpiece. Looking forward to even more variations rushing out in the future :-)

MG MS-06S Char's Zaku II ver.2.0
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★★	The biggest one-piece slide mold parts ever seen.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Significantly upgraded molded color. Subtle and matte.
Proportions	★★★★★	A harmony of classic and modern. You can clearly see the marks of the development team's hard work and deliberation.
Articulation	★★★★★★	The greatest range of articulation ever, with joints that are actually effective in practice.
Joint Strength	★★★★★	Not loose at all, and not overly stiff either. Absolutely optimal condition.
Internal Frame	★★★★★	A "perfect" full-body frame. And a double frame on top of that.
Detail	★★★★★	Simplified in some areas, but the beauty of restraint really shines through.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	Faithful to the standard armaments. And that unique crane of his as a bonus!
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	309 parts total. 88.3 parts per ¥1,000. Well worth buying!
Uniqueness	★★★★★★★	Still excellent quality. His one-of-a-kind charisma.
Dalong's Point : 108 pts.

MG Char's Zaku II ver.2.0 | 2007. 5 | ¥3,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.