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The
MS-06 Zaku II is surely the most famous mobile suit
in the Gundam saga. It is the most produced armed
mobile suit of the One Year War and, with some of
its many variations, it will serve in various
factions in the Gundam universe for almost 20
years. The MS-06S, here reproduced, sports the
colours of the famous pilot Char Aznable, the "Red
Comet" of Zion, nemesis of Amuro Rey, the first
Gundam pilot. Both these pilots are the stars of
the first TV series of Gundam and their ongoing
conflict will last until their demise in the movie
"Char's Counterattack". This version of the Zaku II
is externally the same of other common versions,
like the C or the F, which has only different
engines and internal mechanisms.
This
model has a bit of history, because it was made as
an experiment for an Italian TV show. I tried to
demonstrate how a low scale model with such gaudy
colours could become very realistic, adopting the
right painting techniques. So I didn't concentrate
on strongly modifying the kit, but I worked most on
the painting, taking inspiration from an old
caterpillar and other building machines. For this
demonstration in model making, which was thoroughly
televised in late 1998, I used the 8th MS Team
MS-06J HG model kit. This model kit sucks, but,
despite its many defects, it remains the best 1/144
Zaku kit made by Bandai and it can be easily used
as a template for any version of the Zaku. I had to
make some changes anyway...
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