I was in the mood to build another one-eyed mech and ended up with the HG Zaku Warrior from the Gundam Seed series.

The kit was not my first choice. The kit looked and felt cheap, and at RM40, it was affordable, too. But it was the only kit I could find.

The model poses a moderate challenge to a beginner. For a clean build, the shoulders, elbows, knees, and the back of the legs of the model require seam removal. For colour correction, the back of the shield, the vents on the chest, the accent on the grenades, the blade on the axe and the thruster at the back of the model require some paint.

The whole model is tricky to panel line, too. Some details are fine, sharp and deep, while others are rough, blunt, and shallow.

Personally, I’d prefer the model to be in a darker shade of green, like a Geara Doga. As it is, I think the light, almost mint green, colour of it makes it look like a toy.

Only when the model was completed did I begin to see how well-designed it was. It still looks like a toy, but it’s a really nice one. It has more articulation and accessories than most action figures, which are twice its price.

Building this kit boosted my confidence in seam-line removal skills and made me take steps to ensure I have all the stuff I need to paint my next kit.