Ki's Toy Report: https://www.facebook.com/ki0079.robot.workshops
It's not every day that we get a Zaku variant this unusual. With no functional legs (are they just for decoration?) and wire-guided extending arms, it shares a lot of DNA with the legendary Zeong. This Robot Spirits release of the Psycommu System Zaku is a figure that inspires both love and frustration. Let's dive right into the hands-on experience.
So, what's to love? Plenty, as it turns out.
1. Unique Aesthetics and a Clean Finish
The mobile suit's primarily white color scheme is accented with sharp red lines and detailed waterslide decals, giving it a premium feel that avoids looking cheap or plasticky. In hand, it feels like a quality piece of engineering.
2. Surprisingly Dynamic Articulation
Exotic designs can often come with concerns about a limited range of motion, but that's not an issue here. The head and arms offer excellent articulation, and the range of movement in the waist is simply incredible. However, posing the waist does introduce a specific problem, which we'll get to later.
As for the legs, they still offer a decent degree of articulation. The knees have a slight bend, the hip assembly can swing forwards and backwards, and the joints can even be pulled down to extend the limbs, creating a "long-legged" effect.
3. A Thruster Effect Extravaganza
This mobile suit is absolutely covered in thrusters, and the box includes more than enough effect parts in various large, medium, and small sizes to outfit them all. You'll find thruster bells all over the body: three on the backpack, two on the waist, two on the crotch, and a total of eight on both legs. I might have even missed a few—there are just that many. Attaching all the included blast effects makes it look like a mechanical porcupine.
4. Flawless Wired Arm Gimmick
Let's be honest, we've all been burned by figures with flimsy wire gimmicks that are a nightmare to pose. You can put those fears to rest this time.
The wires included here are impressively thick and sturdy. To use them, you simply detach the forearms at the elbow and plug in the wire accessories. Thanks to the substantial arms and the robust wires, you can extend the forearms to their maximum distance with absolutely no drooping or sagging. The wires hold their shape perfectly, allowing you to bend them into any dynamic pose you can imagine.
Despite these strengths, the figure is not without its problems, some of which were quite a headache.
1. Frustratingly Finicky Hands
Why frustrating? The default hands feature individually articulated fingers that can rotate, but that's about it. They have very little bending range, making them functionally limited. This isn't immediately obvious during casual handling, but when you try to set up a specific pose for a photo, you'll find the fingers just won't cooperate. You end up having to constantly "comb" them back into place, which gets annoying fast.
The other set of hands is molded for the finger-beam firing pose. Each finger on these hands has some forward and downward articulation, but again, it's very limited. This makes it difficult to fine-tune the angle of the beam effects. The slightest nudge can throw everything off, and fiddling with these fingers becomes a real test of patience.
On a more positive note, the inclusion of short, medium, and long beam effects for the fingers is a fantastic touch that adds a lot of display value.
Of course, if you're just posing it on your desk and not trying to capture the perfect photo, these issues are less pronounced.
2. The Backpack Thrusters Pop Off Easily
While the waist has a fantastic range of motion, bending the torso backwards too far will cause the backpack's main thrusters to collide with the rear skirt armor, popping them right off. This means you're constantly reattaching parts while trying to find the perfect pose.
3. Awkward Stand Integration
The Zaku has a standard peg hole in its rear for a display stand. However, to achieve a proper flight pose, you need to use a different adapter. This piece plugs into the backpack and positions the stand's arm between the legs. Getting it on the stand isn't hard, but it creates a dilemma: do you mount the figure first and then add the dozens of thruster effects, or vice-versa? I recommend mounting it first, because once the effects are on, there are very few safe places to grip the figure. But be warned, attaching all those tiny effect parts while the figure is on the stand is its own unique challenge.
4. Handle the Head Antennas with Extreme Care
These antennas are prime candidates for an accident. When you're trying to adjust the mono-eye or turn the head, it's almost impossible to avoid touching them. If you do, be extremely gentle. Too much force or a slip of the hand could easily lead to a snapped antenna.
In conclusion, it's always exciting to see a deep-cut, unconventional Zaku design get the high-end figure treatment. While there are several areas for improvement and the posing process can be genuinely tiring, the overall package is still excellent. For fans of Mobile Suit Variations, this is a release that's well worth picking up.
Ki's Toy Report: https://www.facebook.com/ki0079.robot.workshops