Gunpla Review: HGUC Char's Zaku II ver. Origin

I just got around to building one of the 2 kits I bought when I went to Japan 2 months ago. While I eagerly wait for my 1st RE 1/100, let's take a quick look at the 1st HG Origin kit, Char's Zaku II.

Seems it got worse coming off the Zaku I review

The Origin anime seems to be re-establishing the background of the UC 0079, all with new suit designs to establish the origin of the mobile suits. While it looks nice, it didn't quite grab me as much as the Thunderbolt. Maybe because I've already read in the wiki about Char. Anyway...

Aesthetics

If you've seen a Zaku II, then it's pretty much the same. This version however aims for a bit more detail. All the surface details molded into a kit makes it basically Real Grade light. Especially since it has half an inner frame.

It comes molded in a shade of red much deeper than what the original was. If you're a purist, then you probably won't like it... But Char's red tends to change from time to time so it should not be a big issue.

One of the changes is on the chest. While you get the option to use the standard chest (boob?) armor, the one in the OVA uses the one with built in machine guns. You get both so you can mix and match. One weird detail though is how the eye is slanted upward. Looks good in some angles, looks goofy in others.

While I mentioned it's like Real Grade light, the surface details are completely different from the RG. You don't get 3 shades of red for example and the panel lines are all different.

you say it's different yet you don't point them out?

Overall though, it's pretty solid. I have 2 HG Origin kits and it's been very, very solid so far. It's a throwback to the relatively complex HG from the CCA era. Very nice!

Articulation

These HG Origin kits are super articulate. It's got all the basics, but I'll highlight some interesting design.

Head is on a double ball joint, connected by a hinge.

It allows the squat Zaku head to get into poses that an older Zaku can't. It can look down for example.

Yep... look down. That sure is a looking down

And of course, the mono eye can move.

The Char's Zaku "really?" look

The stomach also has joints so you can pull it up, and give something old HG Zaku IIs don't have. An Ab crunch and a waist joint.

Gappy

As with the Gouf Origin, the chest bit can move forward. The hinge polycap than can move forward.

decapitation shots are not ok

The shoulder armor/shield can of course move out.

The lower body also is very articulated. The hips can swivel forward, and the side skirts can slide to the side.

All these joints result in the most articulated Zaku to date. It's near MG 2.0. Even the RG does not have a deep ab crunch due to the nature of its assembly. The sideskirts do like to pop out, however, and the pipes tends to clash with said skirts.

One weird thing, the feet can actually pull up and the front part can "toe", but it's mine is so tight that it's essentially one solid foot with 2 points of articulation instead of the theoretical 4 (ball ankle, hinge at ankle, "toe" joint and hinge at the base of the leg).

Weapons and Extras

Normally the Zaku II has a bazooka, a machine gun and the standard heat hawk. This version is a bit different.

You get the bazooka. But instead of an internal ammo supply, you get a an external ammo location along with 3 removable magazines. Both handles swivel along with the scope.

You can mount 1 mag into the bazooka, and 2 on the shield via small pegs. Which is logical since we all want to use the ammo as a shield right?

wow, such sarcasm...

Unusually, it mounts to the side of the backpack instead of the rear skirt armor.

It has holes on the skirts, but if you use it with the supplied connector, it doesn't sit center.

You get 2 heat hawks, one stored version with a peg and one bigger heat hawk with no peg. And you get trigger finger right hand, open palm left hand, and a stand connector and the mentioned bazooka clip.

New to the party is the Anti-ship sniper rifle. It's a pretty large bit of weaponry and looks like a futuristic Barret M82 without the bipod and a tiny stock. Also all handles have tiny pegs to secure it in the hands.

No, he knows nothing about guns. He's the Jon Snow of guns

You can mount almost everything onto the kit, except the deployed heat hawk, which you can hold in the other hand to give it 2 axes. And the sniper rifle does not seem to store anywhere on the kit.

Where's the standard machine gun? You don't get one. You'll need to buy the Origin High-Mobility type or Origin Zaku I for that. I don't mind the loss since you get a bigger gun, but again, not as iconic. Maybe if you have the HGBF Zaku Amazing, you can cannibalize the machine gun there.

Bright Red sniper will only work in mars...

The hands pop in and out of the sockets with quite a bit of effort. In exchange for the tightness, it can wield the rifle with one hand.

It's very substantial accessory-wise I'd say. You even get a marking sheet to detail it up further. Overall a win in my book.

Size Comparison

Maybe it's just me, but you're not a Gunpla collector if you don't have at least a Zaku or an RX-78. That said, it's pretty much standard height for an 18 meter suit (roughly 5.5 inches).

Of course, he assume everyone like UC designs

Also a comparison to one of the more modern Zaku IIs.

A comparison to a RG detail wise.

And a comparison to the MG 2.0 color-wise. A Matte coat would do wonders for this kit.

Summary

These Origin kits are superb. They are solid and less fragile than the RG. Very articulated for the design, and boasts pretty good detail. The build process is pretty involved but not tedious and the end result is a very play-able good looking Zaku II for not much money (the RG breaches the 1k peso barrier). It even has part of an inner frame! Highly recommended for any Gunpla collector, even if you already own a bazillion Zaku variants.

Good:
- superb articulation (minus the frozen foot joints)
- good accessories
- cheaper than a RG
- feels solid and hefty

Bad:
- colors are not the classic Char's Zaku (subjective)
- annoying bazooka connector
- can be a bit gappy (I'm nit picking here)