The Extra Zero 8, or simply 'Ez8' is the protagonist's remade Ground Gundam, which was heavily damaged partways into the show and remade with other parts.
It retained the toughness of its former self while using lighter materials, resulting in a somewhat faster machine with a better electrical system and power output.
While this isn't exactly a looker, it's meant to show what happens to mobile suits during a ground war and how you need to adapt to the circumstances with what you have. This is a true war veteran Gundam.
Aesthetics:
The majority of the plastic is in a warm white and a desaturated blue/green, with some grey inner frame parts.
There's a surprising amount of detail under the chest plate. While you can remove it after assembly, it's not specifically made for the purpose, but there's a diorama option there.
The side skirts have modeled energy packs on them, but they're just a solid piece, they don't pop off.
The antenna is white in the kit and the one on the picture is not only painted, but seems to be an entirely different part as it's thinner and the one on the model is a little crooked when placed.
There are no color correcting stickers, just foils (eyes/cameras), sticker decals and three sets of closing stickers for the parachute lines.
Mechanics:
This model features no special articulation, it's entirely bog standard. Nothing outstanding, nothing bad. Double bends on arms and legs with a shoulder polycap that pulls out a bit.
The front and back plates on the ankles do move, but the front ones pop out easily. They move just enough so you can get some foot bends without them getting too much in the way.
The knees move independently from the leg, so you can turn the lower 'spike' and use it as an "anchoring stand" for when the Gundam takes a knee to fire.
There is a hatch on the outer calves of each leg that open, but they're not hinged, so they're a little difficult to have in an 'open' state.
The backpack folds and extends its upper and lower prongs to carry the various backpacks that these mobile suits were meant to carry. A parachute comes with this kit but it can also equip the 2018 Ground Gundam backpack container.
Equipment:
4 hands, 2 holding hands, 1 trigger finger hand, 1 closed fist.
2 Beam Saber Hilts, each placed on the inside of the hatches on the legs.
2 stubby Beam Saber Effect Parts - I prefer these over most HG saber effects, which tend to be far too long.
1 Submachine gun with a folding stock - This version is more detailed than the newer 2018 version, however it has a trigger guard which means you need the trigger hand from this kit to equip it, while the newer one can be used by almost any other kit.
1 Beam Rifle
1 Shield that pegs into the forearms - It does not feature a stand like the one on the 2018 Ground Gundam, although it is meant to be a modified shield, so maybe it's intentional. They're not interchangable between the kits as they have different pegs.
1 Parachute backpack. Note that it doesn't fold out or anything, it's just a lump of plastic. If you don't know it from the show, I'm sure it's somewhat confusing. There's a flat vinyl strap or line that goes in and out of the pack and you loop each end around the bars on the shoulders of the model, then tape the loop closed with the grey stickers. You have 3 pairs in case you want to remove or replace the stickers.
You can actually get the loops off without opening the tape stickers, you simply disassemble the shoulder and it comes right off. I wouldn't recommend doing it too much, since the peg on the part they loop around is somewhat thin and repeated disassembly will likely strain some of the plastic, but the option is there. If worst comes to worst, you can simply replace the line with something else.
Conclusion:
In some ways this is an oddball of a kit. Most people won't get this because the mobile suit it's based on, frankly looks a little bland and ugly (on purpose).
That means this kit is generally for fans of the show who want to recreate a scene or just enjoy the idea of the Ez8. In that regard, you get a good bunch of stuff, but the model kit actually isn't up to snuff regarding details. The head has quite a 'soft' sculpt and is missing some sharpness to the parts. This isn't that old of a kit, it's from 2013 and there are plenty of kits with much sharper details. It's rare, but this is one of the kits that Bandai seem to have cut corners on.
Another example is the chin, which on all other gunpla I've built a separate colored piece, here's it's just molded white plastic and you put on a red foil sticker on it, which is entirely the wrong type of material.
It's not a bad kit, visually it's not up to the usual Bandai standard.
