Series: High Grade Universal Century (HGUC) 1/144
Title: MSM-07 Z'Gok/MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type
Release Date: 11/1999 (MSM-07); 02/2001 (MSM-07S)
Suggested Price: ¥ 700
No. of Parts: 70 + 13 polycaps
Plastic colors: (MSM-07): light blue, blue, dark blue, black; (MSM-07S): red, light red, black, white
Gimmicks: extreme flexibility of limbs and torso, moving claws

Introduction

Contributor: Clem-Master-Janitor
Date: August 14, 2007

Another kit, but this time it's a two for one deal!  Or is it?  Bandai's Z'Gok duo are the same kit, just recolored, hence why they're being reviewed together. Being as ‘old' as this kit is, surely it's a step above the original 80s version of the Z'Gok? Will this kit stack up to being a good deal or just a grand pain in the ass?

Head

Not much to the head. It's built into the torso, but you do assemble it separately. It is connected via a polycap. The monoeye rail is a piece of ABS plastic that is used in the mobility of all the limbs. It takes paint well and is molded in black. A sticker is the only eye piece you get to use, but it's very easy to modify a piece of red LED plastic in its place. Missile tubes are molded to the eye rail so you have to paint them gray for an easier time before placing the head armor on and sealing it to the body.

Torso

The torso is very simple, with five polycaps total: one for the head, one to insert the ball joint of the midsection in the upper body and lower body, and two for the back packs. The midsection has some great movement and probably is the only HGUC kit that could work a belly dancing competition. All the upper body chest vents are molded in the center support system of the whole kit. This is also where the shoulder sockets meet up with the arms. The ABS fights the armor, making the seams not line up. This results in a big gap. That's not a great thing in any model kit.  It's a rarity amongst HG kits. It all flows together nicely, but the backpacks are a bit loose. They fit well, but can pop out if you try grabbing the kit from the packs. You'll have to paint the white on the chest panel for the cockpit entrance (I think that's what it is).   

Arms

This is why you bought this kit.  The arms don't use any polycaps in their flexing, except where they attach to the Mega-Particle Guns and claw arms. Using ABS plastic and ball joints, each of the three sections of arm snap into one another with the armor sliding over before final assembly.  The armor holds tight to the ABS joints so it won't slip like the HGUC Z'Gok-E's. Also, they have amazing flex and posing, so you can do all sorts of poses no other kit could come close to. Bad part is the piece has no stop designed so the pieces will twist and put the armor in cumbersome situations. It's not as bad as the legs due to the arms only having one real specific piece in the upper arm while the legs have three unique pieces.  

This is also a disadvantage as the ABS dislikes a lot of torque. I discovered this via a younger cousin who was having  a ball with how the arms flexed. Then, the sockets split and the arm fell off, never to work right again.  

Lower arm actions are good. Claws hold their position, either open or closed and can flex wide enough to grab a hold of the HGUC Gundam's head easily. They can even support some weight, which you wouldn't think due to it being just plastic on plastic.  

Legs

As mentioned, the legs have a problem staying in their proper shape if played with due to the ABS joint spinning. The armor is indented to give the bowed shape of the Z'Gok's legs. When the armor gets twisted, the legs point in every which way. Good if you're putting your Z'Gok in a break dancing competition, bad if you're setting up a combat scenario. Again, the hips are ABS sockets so they tend to want to pop off if too much pressure is applied. They hold pretty well, but the lower legs weigh more and cause the legs to want to slide in. They do support the whole kits weight well, when placed on the ground thanks to the stability of the feet and knees. Not a great deal of detail, except in the feet, but that is expected as it is a submersible design. Lots of panel lines means not a lot of pressure resistance for the real thing.  

Weapons and Accessories

Everything is built into the kit so there's nothing to report here.

Conclusion

As I mentioned, the S-type and normal type Z'Gok are the exact same kit. It's up to you if you want both. I was fooled by the title of the kits into buying both figuring there would be a difference in the designs. I was wrong. You have minimal painting, so it's not bad for beginners, just not the best kit either with the trick of working the ABS sockets just right or risk shattering them and ruining the kit. It's a neat kit, but that's all it has going for it. Get the HGUC Gogg and really have some fun with all these fun arm sockets and movable fingers.  

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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