OLD First Gundam 1/100 Char's Zaku

Release 1981.7

Price ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - Unlike other 1/100 kits where only some runners are bagged in plastic, the Zaku has every single

Unlike other 1/100 kits where only some runners are bagged in plastic, the Zaku has every single runner individually bagged.

Parts diagram

Manual

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

The soles of the feet have absolutely no molding detail.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - The head, where the black parts inside are separated and the mono-eye is applied via sticker, en

The head, where the black parts inside are separated and the mono-eye is applied via sticker, ends up looking much sharper and more defined than the Gelgoog's.

Just like the 1/144, the holes for the head antenna need to be cut open manually with a knife.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - There's a pipe structure inside the hand to make it easier to grip weapons, and the wrist joint

There's a pipe structure inside the hand to make it easier to grip weapons, and the wrist joint also uses a plastic pipe that looks just like a polycap.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - The shoulder-to-torso joint uses that old-school fixed pin and glued rotating plate system, but

The shoulder-to-torso joint uses that old-school fixed pin and glued rotating plate system, but the tip of the pin has a slight convex bump so the rotating plate doesn't accidentally glue all the way down at once — a nice little touch.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - The connection between the shoulder and the forearm below it also uses the fixed pin and glued r

The connection between the shoulder and the forearm below it also uses the fixed pin and glued rotating plate system, but again the pin has that convex bump, so the chances of it all gluing together at once are pretty low.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - The shoulder joint mount inside the spike armor has a bit of play, allowing it to move slightly

The shoulder joint mount inside the spike armor has a bit of play, allowing it to move slightly up and down.

Comes with a Zaku Machine Gun, Bazooka, and Heat Hawk.

The bazooka's scope can rotate to some degree.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - The Heat Hawk actually has surprisingly decent molding detail, and it has a long pin attached so

The Heat Hawk actually has surprisingly decent molding detail, and it has a long pin attached so it can be mounted on the side skirt — but the fit is so loose it falls right off with the slightest movement ;;

Two different right hands are included depending on which weapon you're using.

The arms and legs can bend to roughly a 90-degree angle.

The legs and arms can be spread about that wide.

There's a joint in the neck too, so the head can tilt up and down.

A two-handed Zaku Machine Gun pose is also possible.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - Zaku Machine Gun firing pose (1/3)

Zaku Machine Gun firing pose

Bazooka action pose

The bazooka can also be held with both hands.

Heat Hawk action

Together with the 1/144 Char's Zaku.

OLD 1/100 Char's Zaku - Together with the rival 1/100 RX-78 Gundam. Hard to say about everything else, but the differenc

Together with the rival 1/100 RX-78 Gundam. Hard to say about everything else, but the difference in color separation is pretty striking..

Together with the 1/100 Char's Gelgoog.

Together with the MG Char's Zaku v1.0 released in 1995.

Together with the MG Char's Zaku v2.0 released in 2007.

The evolution of the 1/100 Char's Zaku

Exactly one year after the old 1/100 RX-78 Gundam was released, the Zaku got the 1/100 treatment too — and just like the Gelgoog, Char's custom version came out first.

As you can see in the review photos above, the color separation on the old 1/100 Zaku is remarkably good — honestly holds its own even against later MG Zakus. The chest armor, knees, elbows, soles, and more are all carefully broken up into separate parts to match the design specs. This was actually my first time building the old 1/100 Zaku, so I had no idea — it's genuinely surprising that the color separation was this well done all the way back in 1981.

There's a big improvement over the previous Gelgoog, especially in the head. The Gelgoog's head came out as one solid piece, making it nearly impossible to tell where the mono-eye even was — but the Zaku's head has the mono-eye background molded in a dark color as a separate part, with a sticker applied on top, resulting in an almost perfect mono-eye head. Sure, the mono-eye doesn't rotate like on an MG, but the fact that a straight build alone gets you this kind of result is genuinely impressive.

The articulation is also a step up compared to the previous 1/100 Gundam, Guncannon, and Gelgoog kits, allowing for a wider variety of poses. The shoulders and forearms use the old-school fixed-pin and rotating-plate glue-type joints, but the fixed pins are positioned as far inward as possible, which minimizes the problem of the joints accidentally getting glued together all at once when you bond the rotating plate.

The weapons include the full basic set — Zaku Machine Gun, bazooka, and Heat Hawk. The bazooka even has a thoughtful touch where the scope can rotate about 30 degrees. The Heat Hawk can be mounted on the side skirt just like in the source material, though the fixed pin connection is a bit weak and tends to fall off easily.

For a 1/100 Zaku with this level of color separation at a price of just ¥700 — less than an HG — the value for money is outstanding. It's a classic old-kit where you have to glue every single part, but it's hands-down the best quality kit among the 1/100 One Year War old-school lineup. Sure, the proportions are a bit stiff like any old kit, but in a way, that's part of the old-kit charm. ^^

Anyway, it's hard to believe this is a 1981 kit — it really feels like the Bandai development team pushed the technology of the time to its absolute limit to produce the best Zaku they possibly could. It's a masterpiece of an old kit that I'd strongly recommend to anyone who's ever wanted to try building a classic old-school kit. :-)
[ Updated at 2016.4.1 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.