Gundam Converge : Dengeki Hobby Char's Zaku II

Tell you what; let's just get this whole red comet Zaku II thing over with. I've dug out the ol' Zaku II that came with the August 2011 issue of Dengeki Hobby Magazine. We've had a couple of Converge figures released like this over the years, apart from Char here we've also seen a couple of Unicorns. We've also featured the STANDart O Raiser accessory which was released in a box similar to these.

So, what is the deal with the Zaku II that accompanies the magazine? Is it really something you would want to have in your Converge collection or is it one of those tired re-packs?

Well, actually, when Dengeki released Char's MS-06S Commander Type Zaku II there existed no such figure in the regular Converge Line. The regular green MS-06 Zaku II had been featured in Converge volume 2 released in January the same year, so I imagine this would have been a really hot item at the time.

Apart from being repainted, this figure also introduced the Commander Type antenna into the sculpt. Now, of course, Char's red Zaku II was only months away from release in the regular figure line, but when it appeared in Converge volume 5 in November, three months after this figure, it sported a Zaku type Bazooka instead. I'd love to do a comparison but the regular figure with the bazooka is hopelessly difficult to find today, plus I am not yet inclined to pay the $40-60 that is typically requested when it does pop up.

So, that was a little back story. Taking a look at the figure itself it is, as you can see, a decidedly awesome little thing. It's two tone red paint scheme is most similar to the figure in Assault Kingdom line, but between all the various red Zaku II:s I have I'd say this one has the least difference between the two reds. The figure features the typical Converge Zaku II articulation; arms rotate at the shoulder but the head is fixed forward.

The helmet is removable so that you can fiddle around with the monoeye, but it really looks best staring straight ahead. As you can see in the image above I have two of these figures, and the first one which I bought loose was in a tragic deformed state. So, be careful when purchasing these things, if you are not sure you are buying it sealed in box you may want to see an actual photo of the item first. Perhaps this figure can be straightened out in hot water; I haven't yet bothered to try.

Now, if you are considering picking up this figure you should also consider the 2014 re-release. The new figure has a glossy metallic paint job but is otherwise the same. The new version was released in a "limited" double pack with a silver-coloured RX-78-2 in March 2014, check out the review of that double pack here. Basically it boils down to which style you prefer. Stay tuned also for the straight reissue of the Zaku II with the Bazooka, which will pop up in Converge volume 16 later this autumn.