MS-06F Dozzle Zabi's Zaku II Version 2.0 (Asian Release)

Synopsis:  As many readers of my site know I have a soft spot for the Zaku II and it was no surprise that when new variants come out I try to get a hold of them whenever possible.  This variant has such a neat paint scheme that I definitely was going to go and get.  As a version 2 this figure excels in articulation as weve come to expect and is essentially a repainted Version 2 Zaku II with a different sculpted head, 2 spiked shoulders, spiked hands, and a Heat Hawk that would make a GM scream in terror among other accessories.

    While this suit never appeared in the MSG animated series its owner however did.  Dozzle Zabi is shown as the pilot of Byg Zam and was a member of the ruling family of the principality of Zeon.  His customized Zaku II reflects his regal status as royalty in the gold trim and unique loadout sported by it.  I always saw Dozzle as a leader willing to get in the heat of battle at his mens side and this is the suit hed use to do it.

 
The Figure: Like I said before in terms of articulation this suit is practically identical to Version 2 Zaku II's (all except the High mobility types) while cosmetically having different hands, head, and shoulder plates.

  The Head is well painted and well detailed.  The sculpt job of the head is great and different from the Char's Zaku IIS in a few ways.  Like Char's Zaku the command antenna is a little flimsy and can risk warping but that's a problem that can never be solved.  The antenna itself is shaped like the one on Shin's Zaku II High Mobility type while the power cables around the head are of different design then any of the Zakus before it.  They look stronger then other ones and probably hint at the idea that the suit was hot-roded compared to other Zakus.

  The arms are equal only to other Version 2.0 Figures.  The shoulder joints can swivel forwards and backwards freely as well as rotate without being hindered.  Only thing the arms can not do is spread the arms out to show its arm-span.  The elbows feature the trademark double joint debuted in the RX-78-2 Gundam Version 2.0 which allows for almost complete natural bending at the elbow.  Twisting of the elbow is achieved not at the elbow but in between where the deltoid and triceps would be.  Like I mentioned before the customary shield on the right shoulder has been replaced a spiked shoulder identical to the left.  The Hands rest on a ball joint providing natural pivoting.  Hands included are 2 closed fists, 2 gun hands, and 2 sword hands.  One thing to note is that the hands have three spikes on the top of the hand.

   The Legs are well articulated and in a lot of ways superior other units.  The leg is connected to the hip via a ball joint and the skirt armor is flexible and separate enough to allow for practically unhindered movement except at the side hip armor.  The knee joint like the elbow joint features the Version2.0 double joint allowing for natural bending.  The ankle still has the hindered movement by surrounding ankle armor.  Bandai must have decided to compensate for this restriction with an additional joint in the lower foot allowing for articulation similar posing like the Gundam Ver2.0.

  The Torso is well sculpted and well painted.  The thruster pack is removable revealing internal mechanics but unlike the other Zaku II Version 2s the Zaku CANNOT wear the minelaying backpack and The backpack cannon that is included in the ZakuII version 1.0 with megella attack tank U.S. set.  This is due to the thick power cables around the waist of the unit. 

The Accessories: This Zaku II is not the accessory monster that the mass produced one was.  For the sake of space attachments used to mount the weapon on the hip will be mentioned in weapon description.

Zaku 120mm machine gun: Like the old version 1.0 this gun looks a little oversized however that is where the similarities end.  The forward handle can swivel to allow for more accuracy to the animated counterpart.  The weapon is a gunmetal black color. And the ammo drum is removable like other Version 2 Zaku Machineguns.

   Zaku 280mm Bazooka:  This is the same as other Version 2.0 bazookas, essentially made up of 3 parts the back end with main grip, the scope, and the barrel with forward handlegrip.  Each part rotates independent of each other allowing for better posing.  The bazooka can be stored in the back of the Zaku with the aid of an attachment that attaches to the main handle of the Bazooka while the attachment is placed at the back skirt armor via a peg.

Giant Heat Hawk: If you have Ramba Ral's Zaku I that came with the Gallop then you have an idea of the design of this massive heat hawk.  The only thing is this hawk is Larger then Rals and lacks the peg on the side.  It is very well painted and sure to depict an imposing presence in your collection.  Like the Bazooka it has an additional piece used to house the hawk and connect it on the skirt armor(only in this case it hooks to one of the side armor not the rear.).

Dopp Fighter:  This fighter is identical to the Zaku II & Megella attack tank set domestic release with minor differences.  The overall plane is a darker green with some panel lining and lacking the Zeon logo found on Domestic released Dopps.

Play Value:  Tons of articulation this figure, a fighter plane, and some decent weapons make this figure have good Play value.  Please note that the accessories can present choking hazards (especially the small piece that hooks the heat hawk to the waist) so please do not leave with kids that are too young.

Display Value: This Figure states "I'm the leader" in it's paint scheme and its that embodiment of Zeon that the figure displays that allow it to stand tall before your Zaku army. The colors are good and the articulation is definitely better so a better stance can be posed. 

Dollar Value: This guy I had ordered from Hobby Link Japan for about $14.51 and approximately $5.84 Shipping & handling.  For an import this was the cheapest price I could get the figure for since I do not have any import store nearby and given the quality of the figure I feel that it was worth the price.  On eBay expect to shell out a couple of dollars extra depending on who or where you are ordering the figure from.  In sum, I like it despite the fact that lacks the accessory loadout sported by the mass-produced Zaku II version 2.0.