HG 1/144 Zaku II Real Type

This is the High Grade 1/144 Zaku II Real Type. :) Following the success of the Zaku I, Zeon's first combat mobile suit, the Zeon military leadership ordered Zeonic to continue its development. In response, Zeonic developed a new mobile suit based on the design of the Zaku I. The prototype for this mobile suit rolled out in August, U.C. 0077. Originally intended as an improved model of the Zaku I, this prototype was instead given the new model number of MS-06A due to its signficantly different appearance and vastly improved performance, marking the birth of the Zaku II.

As far as I know, this kit is a Gundam Base exclusive. However, it’s also sometimes available from P-Bandai from time to time. Those who know my taste in Gundam stuff know that I love Zakus. They’re just cool! 😄 When I saw this kit for only $30 on eBay, I figured “why not?”. Little did I know that these Real Type kits use water transfer decals for the marking decals. I normally avoid these like the plague because of past problems I’ve had getting them to adhere correctly. But, since I had this kit anyway, I decided to take another crack at it. Armed with new knowledge from various YouTube tutorials, and a bottle of Tamiya Mark Fit, I gave this kit a shot! And all I can saw is wow! These water transfer decals look 100% better than regular sticks decals! I absolutely love how these look on this kit! I did skip using one, and a couple of the ones that wrapped all around pieces gave me trouble, but I’d say I did pretty well overall for a guy that almost never uses water transfer decals.

As for the kit itself, it’s basically a recolored version of the revive version of the Zaku II and Char’s Zaku II, so those rotating lower arms are as much of a pain in the neck as they are a benefit to the articulation. Overall, this is a spectacular Zaku, though, and whether you’re getting the regular Zaku II, Char’s, or this Real Type one, the revive of the Zaku II is a must have for any Zeon mobile suit fan or Zaku fanatic! 😄