A mass-produced Zaku wrapped in painful-looking casts and bandages, using its Zaku Machine Gun as a crutch. This piece was created by modeler Youichi Noaki (@atm_09_m) in 2021. Recently, when it was reposted on social media, it received praise from followers both domestically and internationally, with comments like "I laughed" and "Great idea." Why was it reposted now? We spoke with Noaki about the story behind its creation.

How to Portray a "Weak Mass-Produced Zaku": A Moment of Inspiration to "Injure It"

――"Gibsu Zaku" received over 3,500 likes. How do you feel about this reaction?

Youichi Noaki: My notifications didn't stop all night, and it's cliché, but I was simply surprised. I've never experienced anything like this before. Given the current times, I was worried there would be many critical comments, but I was very happy to receive compliments like "It's funny" and "Innovative idea." What stood out most was how many people were concerned about "his" injuries, which made me realize there's still a lot of good in the world (laughs).

――This piece is a past work, but why did you choose to repost it now?

Youichi Noaki: The tag "#showyourweakplamodel" was trending. When I saw this, I remembered the theme of "weak mass-produced Zaku" from when I made this piece. The concept matched, so I thought it was the perfect time for "his" reappearance after two years and posted it lightly.

――I see. What inspired you to create this piece two years ago?

Youichi Noaki: There’s a person I consider a master of sense in my Twitter connections, who regularly hosts "festivals." The theme at that time was "weak mass-produced Zaku," so I had a flash of inspiration to "just injure it." Honestly, I would love to say, "I spent a lot of time and effort contemplating how to portray an already weak mass-produced Zaku as even weaker," but that wasn’t the case (laughs).

Source : ORICON NEWS