Gunpla Build - Zeta Gundam Ver. Ka (Photos)

Let’s cut right to the chase - This is the best looking out-of-the-box build I have ever seen:

This model has no decals, and no topcoat whatsoever, yet I’m still stunned at just how good it looks.

And there are so many reasons why. It’s the deep, dark blues and reds, which are extremely anime-accurate, but not very common on Zeta model kits.

Its the fact that there is so much color separation and so much surface detail despite the fact that there aren’t many panel lines.

And it’s the fact that despite having such complex inner mechanisms, they aren’t visible, nor do they compromise the look of the build. Everything sits nice and flush while in mobile suit form.

And don’t forget all those little details that Hajime Katoki stressed over. The chonky hands, the slope of the chest, the proportions of everything. This looks like it jumped straight off the TV screen.

The Elbow Joints

According to Katoki's notes in the manual, the Zeta Gundam is supposed to have circular shaped elbow joints, but that no previous Master Grade managed to incorporate them. But the Ver. Ka team made it happen, which you can see in this zoomed in shot:

Comparison with Real Grade

I used to think that, lack of sturdiness aside, the Real Grade Zeta looked pretty good. But now, well …

Once you place it next to the Ver. Ka, you start to see all of the problems with it. The side skirts don’t sit high enough, the legs don’t flare out enough (or curve enough), and all the foldy, bendy bits in the torso don’t fit nearly as tight and flush.

Oh, and don’t forget that chest slope:

Maybe it’s just that my model is very old and dilapidated, but the RG Zeta feels like it’s either just barely holding together, or just on the verge of falling apart.

Meanwhile the Ver. Ka looks clean and crisp. Maybe one day I’ll change my mind, but for now I can’t think of a single thing about it’s appearance that I would change.

Which isn’t to say that the entire model is perfect …

Some Issues

There are a few minor little quibbles I have with this Gunpla. They aren’t dealbreakers, but they’re worth noting.

The first is the way the gun rests against the body:

Due to the size and the shape of the rifle, it’s really hard to get it to fit under the Zeta’s armpit. It naturally wants to rest up against the shoulder, which is fine for standing poses, but not so great when going for an action pose

You have to finagle the arm and twist the gun to even get it to look like it does above. And even that isn’t quite as natural looking as I’d like.

My second issue is with its sturdiness. For the most part, this model is extremely sturdy, which is actually really good! Everything tends to stay in place, even if you’re fiddling around with the limbs. That’s good, because otherwise it would be a nightmare to pose (it suggests that all the joints, hinges, etc are all tough, and won’t break while transforming it into Waverider mode).

So what’s the problem? Well, it’s not really a problem perse, but I will point out that sometimes the kit feels too sturdy, in the sense that it can be so tough to move or bend certain bits that you might second guess whether or not those bits are supposed to move at all. It basically becomes a trust exercise; if the manual says it’s supposed to move, then it will, even if you have to apply more pressure than you might assume.

Again, neither of these are dealbreakers, but they’re worth keeping in mind should you ever want to take this kit for a spin.

Gimmicks

The only real gimmick I can think of in Mobile Suit mode is the Grenade Launchers, though it’s admittedly pretty cool. The kit comes with what are essentially ammo packs that mount to the wrist, and if you push them forward with enough force, they’ll pop open the hatch to reveal the grenades:

And I guess you can store the beam saber in the side skirt if you want:

One thing you can’t do is use the Beam Rifle as a Beam Saber. The blades just don’t fit into the barrel of the gun:

But it fits in the hand just fine:

Action Poses

All the photos you’ve seen so far are all the action poses I did. I really didn’t want to mess around with this kit and potentially break it before putting it into Waverider mode. And besides, it feels like one of those statement pieces that doesn’t really need to be in motion in order to look awesome, so I’m pleased with this modest batch of shots.

And with that out of the way, let’s get to the moment I (and maybe you?) have been waiting for.

Waverider Mode

If you’ve never really understood how the Zeta transforms into Waverider mode, here’s a high level overview.

You start with the flipping up the chest armor, lowering the head down into the chest cavity, and pulling in the white armor of the lower torso:

You then flip the arms forward:

There’s actually a lot more going on here than you might think. The insides of the shoulder armor move up and in, the arms actually contract a bit, and the hands bend downward at roughly a 45 degree angle.

You then pull the legs out wide using its crazy hinges. At least I think that’s you do. Honestly, this is the one part of the transformation where the instructions lost me:

You also have to fold in the front skirts, and fiddle a bit with the rear skirts as well.

Next, the wings flip up and out:

Later they’ll move forward to cover up the arms.

There’s a lot to do with the legs, and sadly I didn’t get enough good photos. I know you have to pop out and extend a bunch of the armor:

So far so good:

Now this is where it gets a bit trippy: you have to bend the knee backwards in on itself:

This felt painful just looking at it.

After all that, it’s just some finishing touches, including adding the shield and the rifle. And voila, we have a Waverider Mode:

At least, I think it’s correct. Honestly, it’s a bit hard to tell. Not all of the components snap together in Waverider mode, so it’s kind of hard to tell if they’re truly in place. And even if they are, there’s a chance they may shift around when you’re posing (or otherwise holding) the model.

Also there are certain angles where you can see a lot of the joints and other inner workings of the mobile suit, like this one:

Is it supposed to look this exposed? Or is it simply one of those things you can’t wish away in real life, but which can easily be ignored in animation?

My point being that it looks better from certain angles than others. Which, to be fair, is also true of it in animated form:

And honestly, at this point I’m just glad I got it to work, even if it isn’t perfect.

I suppose I should also note that not only did I get it into Waverider mode, but I also put it back into Mobile Suit mode, and at no point did anything break. Maybe that just means that I got lucky, but maybe it’s also true that this is a surprisingly hearty kit that can handle the stresses of the transformation.

Conclusion

There is no such thing as a perfect model. But nevertheless I am floored at this thing. It’s gorgeous, it’s sturdy, and it was a joy to build. We’re only halfway through the year and I can already tell you that this is going to be one of my favorite kits. It’s just that good.