I guess I caught a case of good karma. I missed out on a few kits back in August, and one of them just showed up in the (same) hobby store months later. I suppose good things can come to those who wait:
So yes, this is the original High Grade model of the Zaku I. And while it may be older and less technically impressive than the more recent Gundam: The Origin version, there’s a lot about this one I prefer. But first, let’s do a bit of history.
History of the Mobile Suit
Note: The history of the Zaku I differs a bit based on whether you’re looking at the original timeline, or the alternate retelling from Gundam: The Origin. Given the provenance of this model, we’ll be covering the original history here.
Everyone knows and loves the Zaku II, but the roman numeral in its name gives away the fact that it isn’t the first kid on the block. That of course would be the Zaku I, the first mass production mobile suit.
In Gundam: The Origin, the history of Zeon’s early mobile suits is very well fleshed out, but in the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV show that history is quite a bit fuzzier. The most important thing to know is that the Zaku I was the Principality of Zeon’s first mass produced mobile suit. It was first deployed several years before the One Year War of UC 0079, as was the Zaku II. This means the Zaku I was made obsolete before it even saw combat.
Still, it did see combat. For most of the war, it was relegated to the rear lines and to supply duty. But early on its journey, the White Base encounters such a supply ship, captained by an old Zeon vet (and former Zaku I pilot) named Gadem. In a fit of desperation, Gadem himself sorites against the Gundam - and yes, he uses his old Zaku.
This battle is the source of an iconic moment in the original show, in which Gadem tries to take out the Gundam without using weapons:
And while it gets in some good hits, ultimately the Zaku I was simply not enough. Gadem and his mobile suit met their end.
There are a few other instances in which we see Zaku I’s in battle. Some appear at the Battle of A Baoa Qu, the final battle of the One Year War:
This was a full on desperation move by Zeon, as they pulled together everything they had in order to try and defend the base.
We also see one in Gundam: The 08th MS Team:
A small squad of Zaku II’s is led by a woman piloting a Zaku I (which, fittingly, wears a commander-type fin). I won’t say any more, because to do so would spoil one of the best scenes in the OVA.
All in all, the Zaku I doesn’t have much of a presence in the Universal Century (at least until The Origin, where it takes on an even greater prominence than the Zaku II). In fact, according to the Gundam Wiki, it was originally labeled as the “Old Zaku” during production, rather than the Zaku I. Basically, it exists to show that Zeon has been at this whole mobile suit thing for long enough to build at least two models (and to make the Zaku II look better).
Differences to the Zaku II
The Zaku I is not that different than the Zaku II, but what differences do exist are notable.
Lack of Exterior Piping
This is the most notable visual change, and also the biggest technical difference. The Zaku I still has the same piping, but it’s hidden underneath the armor. This ended up being a major liability. Having the piping underneath the armor meant that it got in the way. The interiors of the mobile suit were cramped, complicated, and difficult to repair (since the pipes obstructed access to other components). The lack of space also prevented engineers from adding a bigger reactor.
Of course, all of these problems were solved in the Zaku II by moving the piping to the exterior.
Different Heads
In addition to the lack of piping, the Zaku I’s head has a bar going straight down the middle. It’s not the only Zeon design for which this is the case, though I’ve always wondered if it gets in the way of the monoeye’s ability to see.
No Shoulder Shield
The Zaku I has no shoulder shield, though technically it does have a shield. Specifically, it comes with a knuckle shield, which is literally the Zaku II shoulder shield in handheld form.
If I recall correctly, the Zaku I is never (or very rarely) depicted on screen with the knuckle shield, to the point where I’m not sure if it was introduced with this model kit. In any case, I really like the idea of it. It feels like a nice (if retroactive) example of mobile suit evolution. Moving the Zaku II’s shield to its shoulder frees up one of the hands, while still offering protection when needed.
Lack of Spikes
The Zaku I has no spikes on its left shoulder, though the pauldron is otherwise the same shape. I used to think it looked weird without them, though now I quite like the look. It’s not as threatening, but it also looks a bit more elegant.
(Slightly) Differnet Colors
Both models of Zaku are green, though they use different tones. The Zaku I uses a darker Hunter Green, while its successor is more of a Pea Green.
Furthermore, the Zaku I’s has just one secondary color - a dark blue. On the other hand, the Zaku II has two secondary colors - black (or dark grey), and a darker shade of green.
You may not notice these differences in color right away, especially in the fight scene with Gadem (which takes place in the dark black/blue backdrop of outer space). But once you see it you can’t unsee it. Looking at the Zaku II, its main colors can all be found in modern camo. That doesn’t mean it itself is camoflauged, merely that the colors feel realistically militaristic.
On the other hand, the Zaku I’s colors are much bolder. It feels like the kind of color scheme you’d expect in a piece of equipment that wasn’t made during wartime (which, of course, is entirely fitting).
Also, blue and green tend to clash, and while I don’t think the Zaku I’s tones are ugly, they do feel unnervingly dissonant in a way I enjoy.
Color Placement
Basically, the Zaku I uses blue in lots of places where the Zaku II uses green (and on the flip side, the reverse is true in regards to their knee armor).
About the Model Kit
This kit is pretty old, hailing from all the way back in 2006. That’s a few years before I got into the hobby, though it’s also not from the very beginning of the HGUC line (which started all the way back in 1999⁄2000).
In most scenarios, this would make it hard for me to pin down exactly what to expect from this kit, but in this case we have the perfect reference point. 2006 was the same year that the High Grade Zaku I Sniper Type launched:
Now that is a kit I can vouch for. Aside from some typical High Grade seam lines, it is amazingly sturdy, with “good enough” articulation and some impressive gimmicks. I’m certain this will be a near identical build, which bodes well.
Speaking of gimmicks, this Zaku I comes with some neat stuff, including:
- The knuckle shield
- A Sturm Faust (that attaches to the back of the shield)
- A 105mm Machine Gun. This is the same one that comes with the Sniper Type. It’s smaller than the iconic 120mm gun used by the Zaku II, and it mounts its drum magazine to the side instead of the top.
- A bazooka that is smaller than the (also iconic) one used by the Zaku II. I’ve never come across this particular design in any other model kit; my guess is that it probably doesn’t come in anything other than Zaku I variants (I have to admit that I condsider the bazooka alone to be one of the main selling points of this kit).
- The right shoulder has a little cradle to help hold the bazooka steady. This is something you never see in any animation, but it’s a cool idea which gives the right shoulder a purpose.
New Tools
I have a few new toys to play with. The first is some spray paint:
I actually got this paint for another project entirely, and only grabbed it because I saw it was grey. But when I got home, I looked at exactly what color it was, and it turns out it was a good choice. Zeon Grey!!
Second, I finally found my some Mark Setter and Mark Softener to use on my waterslide decals:
I’ve never used either of these things before, but the guys at the hobby shop swear by them. Might as well give them a shot and see if they make the decals look even nicer.
No Build Posts
I’m not going to do any build posts this time. Part of the reason is that, again, this build is likely going to be very similar to the Zaku I Sniper. The other reason is that I just need to take a break from them. Right now I feel like I’ll have a better time if I can just focus on building, and then write once it’s all built and finished.
I don’t think this is the permanent end to build posts. It may just be a break for the holidays. Or it might be a little longer than that. Hard to tell.