The Zeta Plus is done, but … where to start with it?
I suppose we should begin by comparing it to its big brother:
Comparison to Zeta Gundam
As a “true” successor to the Zeta Gundam, it’s no surprise that the Zeta Plus looks similar. But I’m struck by just how much it does - but also how much it doesn’t.
The basic shape is largely identical - in particular the feet, the legs, the chest, and (mostly) the head.
But then the Zeta Plus goes and changes the shoulders, as well as the skirt armor (mostly by taking some of it away). I’m not sure how this intentional these changes were, but I feel like they put the Zeta Plus more in line with other Earth Federation designs of its era (in particular, both changes put it more in line with the Jegan).
Then there’s the most subtle - but possibly the most important - change of all, which is that the Zeta Plus takes all of the Zeta’s sharp edges and makes them softer.
There’s a strong argument to be made that the OG Zeta is defined by its sharp, papercraft-esque look, and that taking that away misses the point.
And if this was any other mobile suit I’d agree with that, but in this case I’ll allow it, because all the soft edges make the Zeta Plus look more like, well, this:
It’s a change with a purpose, so I think it works.
“Now what about the wings?”
Oh yeah, that’s probably the biggest change of all - or is it?
The Zeta Plus’ Wing Binders are certainly different than the Zeta’s Flying Armor, if for no other reason than the Flying Armor is bigger and more encompassing. But when I look at them side by side, I can’t help but feel as if the Wing Binders are just (smaller) versions of the Flying Armor’s wings reoriented to be perpendicular to the body.
This is especially true when you consider the fact that they both have the exact same tail piece:
In other words, I don’t see the Zeta Plus’ backpack as a complete overhaul so much as it is a rejiggering (and so no, I don’t actually think it’s the most important change).
Comparison to the ZII
The ZII may not be as “true” of a Zeta successor in regards to its engineering and its transformation system, but it’s still a successor. I mean, it’s literally called the Z II - so it’s worth comparing.
It’s kind of the inverse of the Zeta Plus in terms of what it does (and doesn’t) change. It preserves the Zeta’s color scheme and its sharp edges (and it’s shoulder amrmor), but changes the shape of just about every body part (especially its backpack, which looks nothing alike):
It’s almost as if you could recreate the Zeta by taking individual components of these two mobile suits and combining them together.
Action Poses
I’ll admit that I didn’t do a ton of action poses this time. I found that a lot of the joints are very loose; my guess is that this is to make it easier to take it apart for the transformation, but as a consequence a lot of the body parts liked to fall off. I guess I could have tightened them up a bit, but I was afraid that that would risk compromising its ability to transform, so instead I just did a handful of basic poses and called it a day.
(This is probably where I should mention that the articulation on this model is not that great. The head can’t move much, nor can the torso. That’s the other reason why I didn’t go crazy with action poses)
While we’re looking at all these photos, I’ll just come out and say what I think of this model. If you’re looking for a Zeta-esque mobile suit in 1⁄144 scale, this isn’t the first one you should spring for. It’s not fun looking or colorful, which means you’ll have to put in some extra effort - in the form of detailing, panel lining, and shading - to make it stand out.
And despite its slightly higher than usual price, it offers nothing new or unique or superior than other transforming High Grades:
Nevertheless, I find myself transfixed by it. I really do think it pulls off the “mobile suit as aircraft” aesthetic fantastically, and that in turn lends it an air of poise and seriousness and authority. It’s an overall vibe that, for better or worse, Gundam doesn’t always try to capture, and I’m at a point in my fandom where I find that worthwhile.
I’m not saying don’t buy this, but it feels like an “advanced” model, in the sense that it’s likely to appeal most to fans and builders who have been around the block and are bored and/or desperate enough to want something different than usual.
Transformation
In-universe, the Zeta Plus and the ZII may have different transformation systems, but in the real world their High Grade models work just about the same. They both begin my stripping off most of the limbs:
And then mounting them onto a separate frame for the partsformation:
You start with the tail (and rear skirt):
Then the arms (and the partsformed version of the shoulder armor):
The wings and the shield nosecone:
And finally, the skirt guns and the legs:
And now the Zeta Plus is ready to take flight:
Just like in its mobile suit mode, the Zeta Plus in its flight mode still largely captures the general shape and form of the OG Zeta, but it also makes some critical changes.
For example, the Zeta in its Waverider form looks much more compact:
(It’s possible that I could have shoved the Zeta Plus’ legs forward more to make it even more compact, but I’m pretty sure I have it the way it’s supposed to be)
And in regards to their wings, the Zeta’s Flying Armor makes it look like it’s flying atop of a sled or a Base Jabber or something:
Whereas the Zeta Plus looks more like it has actual wings attached to its fuselage:
And then of course there’s the fact that both craft mount their beam rifles in different places.
The cumulative effect is that, once again, they feel at once both similar and different:
Personally, I think they each look good from different angles. The Zeta is nicer from the side and the rear, while the Zeta Plus is better when looking from above or below.
Here’s a couple more shots for good measure:
And here’s one I took outside:
Using the System Base
Now let’s break in that System Base I just built. Fair warning: I’m not used to taking photos using the black background, so some of these look a bit blurry. I’m sure I’ll get better with practice:
Blurry photos aside, I really like the look of this. With a zoomed in shot, at the right angle(s), you really forget that it’s only a 1⁄144 scale model:
And finally, just for good measure, a few photos with my acrylic Gundam Unicorn logo, including one with its bro, the Gustav Karl:
Conclusion
So, after sleeping on it for months and months, was the Zeta Plus a worthy pickup in the end? I think so, yeah. I’m so fascinated at how it’s able to look both new familiar at once. And even with its near-monochrome color palette, it still has quite a bit of shelf presence, even amonst other, more colorful Gunpla:
I know it may sound pretentious, but I really do believe that I wouldn’t have appreciated this one as much if I had built it even a few years earlier. I needed to learn how to appreciate the subtle (and not so subtle) differences in shape and color in order for the Zeta Plus to really “work” for me as well as it does.