HGUC MS-06R-1A Shin Matsunaga's Zaku II

If you collect HG's or even Gunpla in general there's no reason not to own one of the Zaku High Mobility Type variants.  Be it this Shin Matsunaga variant, the Black Tri-Stars, Johnny Ridden, or even the Zaku Amazing.  It's a solid kit and a solid, quick, fun build.  The model feels sturdy in your hands and suffers from hardly any weight or balance issues.

The Good:

-Solid construction.  No loose joints to be found here.

-Proportions.  Compared to the older HG and MG Zakus the proportions and looks on this kit have a modern 2.0 feel to them.  Especially the head with its thinner 'visor' opening.

-Articulation.  Aside from the more expensive RG and MG 2.0 Zakus, you won't find a Zaku with better overall articulation.

The Bad:

-The Zaku Machine Gun has to sit in the hand at a pretty awkward angle due to the stock.  It's not terrible, but from some angles it can be a bit ugly.
-The Stripe sticker on the left shoulder loves to peel up.  However, there's really nothing Bandai could have done about this.  Aside from giving water slides to a standard HGUC release...right...

WIP Notes:

-I took the bazooka mounting peg off the weapon mount piece on the shield.  I always felt Shin was more of a melee pilot and would prefer the machine gun.  I think it being flat makes it look cleaner when the weapons aren't mounted.

-The weapons mount is cemented to the shield for one reason.  To not tear up the '573' sticker right below it by taking it on and off.

-The extra blue stripes on the shield came from an extra stripe on the sticker sheet.  

-I used the stickers for the gray pieces on the lower legs.  I had a hard time matching the silvery-gray that they're supposed to be.

-Used acrylic gems for the mono-eye and the machine gun scope.  

-There are circular white pieces missing from the knee joints.  I honestly don't know where they went.  (My daughter probably had something to do with it.)

-The Anti-Ship Heat Hawk (I think that's what it's called) came from Bandai Weapon System 002.

-Gundam Markers were used for the painting and panel lining.

Comparison next to standard Heat Hawk

Comparison with standard size (18m) GM Command

Final Thoughts:

I really have nothing but good things to say about this kit.  Yeah, that stripe sticker is a bit wonky but what can ya do.  I know the 'canon' color for inner thrusters is red but this kit already had a white and blue theme going on so I just went with the blue for the vents and bells.  The huge axe is a bit heavy for the wrist but, the axe isn't an original accessory for this kit and the weight issue isn't that bad.

The stickers that are here are done very well.  They're used for color apps in only one place (curvy gray piece on lower leg) not counting sensor stickers.  The rest are kind of like marking decals and help set this kit apart from other HGUC's.  This very white Zaku especially benefits from them as the blue stripe, White Wolf, and 573 stickers help break up all that white.

Of the current 4 modern HGUC Zaku variants this one can probably take the most from some detailing time.  It's white, very white.  In fact straight out of the box this thing does look rather plain because of it.  However, because of its white-ness it will stand out next to other grunty green Zeon suits on your shelf.

Overall I can completely recommend Shin Matsunaga's custom Zaku II to anyone.  It's a great starter kit and Gunpla veterans will appreciate the efficient engineering of the build and the modern proportions.  You may prefer the black/violet/white scheme of the Black Tri-Stars Zaku or the orangey-red scheme of Johnny Ridden's Zaku but they're all essentially the same kit.  The Zaku Amazing also uses this same 'frame' and holds up very well next to the generally more posable Build Fighters and All-Gundam Project HG's that it's usually partnered with.  The price point is pretty reasonable for what your getting and any or all of these Zaku's would be a nice addition to any Gunpla collection.

Until next time...