HGUniversal Century

MS-06S Zaku II PRINCIPALITY OF ZEON CHAR AZNABLE'S MOBILE SUIT (Red Comet Ver.) Yoshikazu Yasuhiko/MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN Exhibition Edition

The HGGTO Char's Zaku sculpt, dressed up as a museum-ticket keepsake.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2022

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2022

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit a lot, and I want to be upfront that a good chunk of what I like about it isn't unique to this release.

This is Bandai's HGGTO MS-06S Char's Zaku sculpt from the Origin line, the same one that's been praised for years for its proportions and articulation, repackaged as a giveaway item tied to the 2022 Yoshikazu Yasuhiko exhibition. The engineering underneath is genuinely excellent. What you're paying the premium for is the exclusivity and the exhibition branding, not a better kit than the standard Origin release.

Best for: Origin-line Zaku collectors and Yasuhiko fans who want the exhibition-exclusive Char's Zaku alongside their standard HGGTO shelf

The full review

What it is

This is the Char Aznable Custom Zaku II from the Origin continuity, done in the HGGTO sculpt Bandai has been refining since the late 2010s, released as a special giveaway for buyers of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's 2022 Origin art exhibition. Snapping it together feels familiar if you've built any recent Origin-line HG. The proportions lean into the manga's slightly bulkier, more grounded Zaku silhouette rather than the classic anime toy look, and the parts fit together cleanly with minimal wrestling. It builds fast for an HG with this much going on, and the monoeye and vent detailing read well straight off the runner even before you touch a panel liner.

The catch

The catch here is entirely about what you're paying for, not the plastic itself. This is a limited exhibition-exclusive item, so it commands aftermarket prices well above a standard HGUC or HGGTO Char's Zaku, and you're mostly buying the packaging and the moment rather than extra engineering. Builders of the base HGGTO sculpt note a fair number of small accent stickers for color correction, which some find fiddly to place precisely, and the side skirt armor can run a touch loose depending on your example. None of this is unusual for an HG, but know that going in.

Who it's for

Buy this one if you're chasing Origin-line exclusives, love Yasuhiko's art direction on the UC saga, or already have a soft spot for the Char's Zaku and want the version with the story attached. If you just want the best-engineered Char's Zaku on a budget, the standard HGUC Revive or HGGTO releases give you nearly the same build and pose range for a fraction of the price, since this kit's sculpt isn't meaningfully different from those. Skip it if resale premium bothers you or if display-case space matters more than provenance.

The build story

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

The build moves quickly for an HG with this much articulation packed in. Parts click together with confidence rather than needing to be forced, and the gate placement on the visible armor panels is considerate enough that a hobby knife and a bit of sanding gets you clean seams without much drama. The monoeye piece and vent grilles are molded with enough definition that they read well under normal light without extra painting.

The standout here is the articulation engineering carried over from the HGGTO sculpt: double-jointed elbows and knees, a swiveling shoulder armor that gets out of the way of arm movement, and a waist that turns through a full range so you can hit the classic Char's Zaku dash pose without the frame fighting you. Color separation on the main body is handled mostly through molded plastic, with stickers reserved for smaller accent details and stripe work rather than large panels.

Lore & trivia

01MS-06S is the commander variant of the mass-produced MS-06 Zaku II, distinguished by its red paint scheme, twin-eye style hip armor, and a more powerful engine than the standard line units.
02This particular release was distributed as an exclusive to buyers attending the 2022 exhibition of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's original artwork for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, tying the kit to the manga artist rather than a standalone retail launch.
03Yoshikazu Yasuhiko was the character designer and animation director on the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam series before writing and illustrating The Origin manga, which reinterprets the same story and redesigns suits like the Zaku II with more grounded, mechanical proportions.
04The Char's Zaku is one of the most repeatedly re-released kits in Gunpla history, with HG versions spanning multiple decades and continuities, a sign of how central the 'Red Comet' unit is to Gundam's cultural footprint.