So.
This is a cool looking Zaku. The extra thrusters and fuel tanks are a fun variation on a classic design, and the color scheme is so unique.
But! It also has some of the worst articulation I’ve seen on a High Grade in a long, long time.
The first problem is the way in which the torso is constructed. As you all (hopefully) know, the power cables that run along the underside of the chest plug into the backpack. On almost every other Zaku model I’ve ever built, these cables plug into the underside of the upper torso (which, if you think about, makes perfect sense). This of course means that the upper torso is able to rotate independent of the lower torso.
But that’s not how it works on this model. Instead, the cables go from the backpack into the lower torso, which means the upper torso is locked into place and cannot rotate at all.
Curious, I went to see if any of my other Zakus are built like this. I found just one, the High Grade Zaku Mariner. I made no mention of this when I built that kit, which leads me to believe I didn’t notice it. That tracks, as I was quite underwhelmed with that one, and didn’t take a ton of action shots. In any case, it’s fair game to say that while this defect isn’t unique, but it is still rare. And it really sucks too.
And it’s not the only problem either. Look at how bad the leg bend is:
I’m pretty sure that’s not even a 45 degree angle. Right?
With no torso rotation and barely any knee bend, there’s just not much you can do with this thing. I think my favorite poses are where I just had it flying around:
Here it is with that weapon mount clipped onto the shield:
It’s a great idea, but it looks too big and unwieldy:
Lastly, for good measure, I took some action shots, though with the limited articulation they’re nothing to write home about:
Holding Hands
I should have talked about this during the build, but I forgot. This kit comes with five holding hands, which is such a breath of fresh air!Or at least it would be, except for the fact that this particular assortment of hands kind of sucks.
We get a left and right trigger finger hand, which is great. But then we get just one closed fist left hand, but not one for the right, as you can see here:
Which just makes it look like it's emulating the Arthur's Fist meme:
Plus, it doesn't come with any open palm hands (and open palm hands you see in this post came from the usual place)
Even when this kit tries to do something nice, it still ends up tripping over itself.
Conclusion
If I had to come up with a polite way of describing this model, I’d say that it’s for “advanced builder only”, which sounds more elitist than I mean it to. What I mean is that between the seamlines and the color correction, it does require a good deal of work and technique (and paint) to make it look right. And then you add in the fact that because it’s articulation is limited, this is very much a “look but don’t touch” shelf piece. If you’re looking for a Zaku that will look better out of the box, and will be far more poseable and playable, there are so many other, better choices.
Basically, it’s “advanced” in the sense that the only people who should be seeking this one out are folks that already have other (better) Zakus under their belt. And that sucks, because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
What Next?
That’s three underwhelming builds in a row. I was going to switch back and build the X Divider, but I think instead I need to completely change tactics for a little while. I need some builds that are going to look great and pose well. That means going back to my original plan for the start of this year, and finally building these guys:
