OLD MSV 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II Box

Release 1983.10

Price ¥1,000

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Waterslide decals

Includes Captain Shin Matsunaga's personal emblem sticker.

Parts diagram

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Manual (1/6)

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Manual (2/6)

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Manual (3/6)

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Manual (4/6)

Manual

Straight build + Waterslide decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II (1/2)

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II (2/2)

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Waterslide decals on various parts of the body. (1/4)

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Waterslide decals on various parts of the body. (2/4)

Waterslide decals on various parts of the body.

The detail on the high-mobility backpack is pretty nice.

There's actually a frame structure inside the legs.

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - The old-school method of gluing the forearm locking pin in place is still he

The old-school assembly method where you have to glue the forearm pin in place is still there,
At least the rotating disc is now a snap-fit instead of being glued in place — a slight improvement.

A total of 5 hands are included.

The Zaku machine gun's shoulder stock slides, but it's incredibly loose.. ;;

Articulation is, as expected, nothing to write home about.

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - There's an auxiliary joint inside the shoulder, so the arm can raise about 4

There's an auxiliary joint inside the shoulder, so the arm can raise about 45 degrees to the side.

Shoulder forward/backward range of motion.

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Action pose (1/3)

Action pose

OLD 1/100 MS-06R Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II - Two-handed machine gun firing pose (1/3)

Two-handed machine gun firing pose

Together with the 1/144 MSV MS-06R Zaku II.

Together with the 1/100 Char's Zaku.

Together with the MG Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II v1.0 released in 1996.

Together with the MG Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II v2.0 released in 2008.

The evolution of the 1/100 Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II.

The first release in the MSV 1/100 line is the MS-06R Zaku II — better known as Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II. Since it's the machine of Shin Matsunaga, the "White Wolf," the whole kit comes molded in a single light gray color, which makes it look a bit plain, but overall the details unique to the high-mobility Zaku are nicely captured.

First off, this is a completely new Zaku with no shared parts with the existing 1/100 Zaku, and even though it's an old-style kit, you can clearly see how much the proportions have changed over the years. Sure, compared to the current MG it looks chunky — borderline chubby, even — but isn't that exactly the charm of old-school MSV kits? ^^

In particular, the backpack and leg details — which are really the heart of the high-mobility Zaku — are rendered with solid precision and a real sense of presence, and there's a huge gap in depth and sculpt quality compared to the 1/144 version.

In terms of joint construction, the old-style rotating disc and ring glue-joint system for the forearm is still in use, though it's been slightly upgraded so the disc now clips in from the side rather than being glued. The legs also gained an internal frame structure, but unfortunately the articulation doesn't feel like it's improved all that much. Joint strength is also unbalanced — the arms and legs are solid, but the hip joints are quite loose, making it hard to hold poses.

Well, joints on old-style kits are basically there to be modified anyway (...), so setting that aside, the overall presence and look of the kit is pretty satisfying. And at an HG-level price of 1,000 yen, you're getting a solid 1/100-scale kit — if you ever want to experience a piece of Gunpla history on the cheap, this is a fun one to build. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.1.15 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.