HGUniversal Century

MS-06S Zaku II Carp Ver.

The same great HG Zaku II shell, dressed in a koi-bright limited color scheme that has no business looking this sharp.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2019

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the reliable HG Zaku II engineering everyone already trusts, just repainted into a limited koi-inspired color run that actually earns its novelty.

I like it more than I expected to, because the shaping underneath the flashy colors is the same well-worn HGUC-era Zaku frame that builds fast and poses well. It is not a kit you buy for engineering news, it is a kit you buy because the color story is genuinely fun on the shelf. Judge it as a specialty color edition, not a new sculpt, and it delivers exactly what it promises.

Best for: Zaku collectors and color-variant chasers who already know the standard HG Zaku II build and want a shelf-standout repaint

The full review

What it is

This kit is a special-color release of Bandai's dependable HG Zaku II line, given a bright, high-contrast paint job that leans into a koi carp palette instead of the usual olive drab or Char's Custom red. Underneath the surprising colors, the shaping is the Zaku people already know: the barrel chest, the slouched shoulders, the round mono-eye head that reads as instantly iconic from ten feet away. Snapping it together felt familiar in the best way, no learning curve, no fussing with instructions I had not seen before, just a clean, satisfying build where every part clicked and looked right the first time.

The catch

Because it shares its skeleton with the standard-issue HG Zaku II, this is not going to wow anyone chasing modern engineering or a new frame. The color separation works well for the accent panels, but as with most HG-era Zaku releases, some smaller trim details lean on stickers rather than molded plastic, so careful application matters if you want the koi effect to read cleanly. It is also a limited or special-run item by nature, meaning pricing and availability swing harder than a mainline HGUC kit, and once it is gone from shelves it tends to stay gone.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already like the HG Zaku II silhouette and want a version that looks different from every green or red Zaku already on your shelf, or if you specifically collect Bandai's seasonal and novelty color variants. Skip it if you are chasing the newest inner-frame engineering or want your first Zaku to be the most posable or highest-detail version available, because the base kit here is the familiar HG-era mold, not a cutting-edge revision. For most builders it lands best as a second or third Zaku, the fun one, not the definitive one.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

The build itself moves quickly and without drama. Parts are cleanly gated, cleanup is minimal, and the joints go together with the same confident click that has made the HG Zaku II a go-to recommendation for builders past their first kit. Nothing here fights you, which makes it a relaxing weekend build rather than a project.

Articulation follows the familiar HG Zaku formula: good shoulder and hip swing, a mono-eye head that turns, and enough waist movement to get dynamic poses without the kit fighting back. The main draw is the color work itself, the koi palette translates well onto the Zaku's rounded shapes and catches the eye in a way a straight repaint of the same mold in olive drab never could.

Lore & trivia

01The Zaku II first appeared in the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam and remains one of anime's most recognizable mobile suit designs, defined by its monocular sensor and hunched, brutalist silhouette.
02MS-06S denotes the high-mobility command variant piloted by Char Aznable, the character whose custom Zaku popularized the idea of a signature color scheme for an ace pilot's machine.
03Bandai has released the Zaku II in dozens of grades and special color variants over the decades, from mainline HGUC entries to Premium Bandai and Gundam Base exclusive colorways, making novelty color runs like this one a recurring tradition rather than a one-off gimmick.