D-Arts Zero Type 2 Review

After a more than a year's waiting since I got D-Arts Mega Man X, the long-anticipated D-Arts Zero Type 2 action figure with the symbollic Z-Saber is finally here!


D-Arts Zero Type 2 is released in end of May for an official retail price of 3500 Yen, or 3675 Yen with 5% Japanese sales tax included.

Zero is a character from the Mega Man X video game series (also known as Rockman X). He is seen as a deuteragonist and a second playable character in most of the game series. Despite not being the protagonist of the series he first makes his debut appearance, his popularity can be more than a match to the titular character, which is a bit like how Fate Testarossa / Fate T Harlaown has a huge fanbase as the deuteragonist of the Nanoha series, where Takamachi Nanoha is the main character... Well I put that just for an analogy, but the two do have some aspects in common such as the fact that they are both close combat-oriented and how both had troubled pasts.

Story-wise, while X is Dr Light's ultimate work, Zero is Dr Wily's counterpart of X as his final masterpiece. He is X's best friend and comrade-in-arms. While D-Arts has released a Type 1 version based on his appearance in the first Mega Man X game, this Type 2 is based the games thereafter, where he now has his symbollic Z-Saber for close combat.


Zero comes with 3 face expressions, 3 pairs of hands (closed fists, open palms, and hands for gripping the Z-Saber), a normal right arm, 3 Z-Sabers with different effect parts, and an open barrel for the Zero Buster.


Front


Back


Zero with Zero Buster on his right arm (also known as Z-Buster). He has several different transparent coloured "gems" on his body, such as the red ones on his Buster arm and helmets, as well as blue in the centre of his helmet.


As a contrast to X, Zero has green gems rather than red on various parts on the body, such as underneath the feet.


The 3 different expressions of Zero. Similar to X's, they all look serious.
The face part was very hard to remove at first with the helmet in the way; it took me a very long time just to get it out for the first time.


There are two barrels for the Zero-Buster: One with the red gem when Zero-Buster is not firing, and the other one with a hole so that effect parts from X or Zero Type 1 can be inserted into it to imitate the Buster firing shots.


Zero with Zero-Buster


Firing pew pew shots with X's effect parts


A normal right arm with corresponding hand parts is available for Zero; just swap out the Zero-Buster and insert the right arm in.


Now onto Zero's signature weapon: The Z-Saber. 3 Z-Sabers with different effect parts are available - a normal one, one with a rather pointy end, and one with a fluid slashing effect.


The Z-Saber can be stored at the back. Remove the effect part for one of the two normal looking Z-Sabers and insert the peg into the hole at the back near the left shoulder.


Now for some action shots: Readying to unsheath


Mission start!


Gatotsu, Saitou Hajime style from Rurouni Kenshin.


Falling downward stab, a recurring technique throughout the series.


Half moon slash!


Rising upward slash, another recurring technique.


Standing next to his partner X. Zero has more colours and details than X, who looks rather plain in comparison.


The two Maverick Hunters fighting side-by-side again, just like the old times.


To the best of my knowledge, there were no action figures available for Zero of the X series before this one apart from some early Bandai plastic model kits and the Type 1 version released last year (which is the Mega Man X1 game with round shoulders and no Z-Saber), which are pretty rare to find by now. A lot of the colours on the action figure are straight from the plastic itself rather from paints (hence giving Zero a bit of a "plastically look" on some areas...), and that some of the painted areas could have done a better job, especially on the Zero-Buster. The joints aren't stiff so it's very easy to pose around straight from unpackaging, though the arms seem to have difficulty holding the Z-Saber with fluid slashing effect, or the heavier charged shot effects from X, where they have a tendency to sag downwards as I was about to take the photo. On the other hand, I tend to have difficulty seeing Zero's eyes, especially with his default face. Maybe his eyes seem a little small, or that the front section of the helmet seems to cover up the face more than I have anticipated.

Apart from the painting and slight joint issues, I would say that this is recommended for fans of the game series, as there are no other ones available at the moment. At least it's great to see something finally getting materialised from the childhood memories!