The Zaku II (2), is the famous generic bad guy, the grunt, the mook of classic Gundam, beloved for its mono eye, the scuba mouth piece, the ribbed cabling all over the body (they're external power cables upgraded from Zaku I, but put outside due to a lack of space on the interior), the spiky shoulder, the bulky feet and the classic top loading "space tommy-gun". It can be hard to choose, which is why I've added a little list of options and an explanation of why this kit might or might not suit you.
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This'll be a bit of a long review, due to there being multiple versions of this Mobile Suit, but if you want a nice looking original Zaku II, then this is a great candidate, however I will give a couple of other options first:
HG MS-06 Zaku II - Is the 2003 "modern" HG kit that also comes in toned down colors, which has a nice set of weapons but almost no detailing on the armor.
HG MS-06 ZAKU II F2 ZEON VER. - Is the 2010 "0083 Stardust Memory" version, also in toned down colors, with more detailing than the previous kit, grey cabling, different armor options and some weapons.
HG MS-06C-6/R6 Zaku II Type C-6/R6 - Is the 'The Origin' version of the Zaku II, which features a lot more detailing on the armor, far better articulation, a much better sticker sheet, more armor options, a LOT more weapon options (minus the drum-fed machinegun, sadly), but with much, much stronger colors which may or may not be to your taste and may look odd next to some of your other models.
Additionally there's another 'Origin' Zaku I (1 - Denim/Slender) kit in a strong olive color, also with plenty of options, which has its own distinctive look. -----------
First: The colors are much lighter and more desaturated, even than what this kit looks like on the front of the box. The military greens are 'pale', 'desaturated' and 'earthy'.
Second: This is the second RG design Bandai made (RG #2 and #4), meaning it features the notorious MS Joint inner frame which tends to loosen over time and especially the early couple of kits do so quickly. I've made this and the RX-78-2 (RG #1) carefully and even then the limbs feel slightly weak already. Treat it as a fragile model kit, not a toy.
This is why I give the kit 4/5 and maybe it should even be lower, but unlike the first RG kit, the tolerances (how well the pieces fit together) on this one are very good, almost as good as new RG kits.
The articulation is top notch and even the feet/ankles pose competently, giving the kit the ability to pose naturally, even better than most modern High Grade Zakus.
The one flaw, besides the inner frame, is the shoulder shield connection, which is weak and tends to fall off when touched. It is outright bad, especially compared to High Grade solutions which are elegant and move far better, at least with this one part. Either don't touch it or glue it on.
The kit comes with a bazooka, a machinegun and a heat hawk (axe), which are all okay, but look a bit plain compared to the newer HG 'The Origin' kit weapons.
The kit comes with a huge sticker sheet with a bunch of decals that allow you to customize rank, number, insignias and a bunch more across the whole thing. They look great.
Unlike all the HG kits, the RG comes with a transparent visor in front of the eye, which adds character to the kit.
Final judgement: Looks-wise, color, detail and all, this is the best looking 1/144 scale Zaku II kit. The color separation and details everywhere gives it depth and gives the eye something new to look at every time you look at it. To me, this kit feels like the original Zaku II, as the "true" version. As mentioned, this is an early RG kit and that comes with its own issues that new RG kits do not suffer from.
'The Origin' zakus tend to look a lot like toys due to their strong colors, but if you're fine with that, then those are cheaper, full of options and they pose almost as well, additionally they're a joy to build, whereas this one tends to be a little more difficult, especially due to the many "rings" or "beads" that are on the cabling. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully to put them on right, they're all different!!
