Netflix has just dropped a new first look video at a selection of new sets for their live-action adaptation of One Piece. Most of the sets shown are still in the concept art phase. However, we do get a look at some of the actual sets in the process of construction. Let’s take a closer look at them. In particular: the Baratie.
Floating Restaurant Baratie in Real Life!
As you might’ve noticed from watching that One Piece: Set Sneak Peek on YouTube, the most prominent set they feature is the Baratie: the floating restaurant owned by “Red-Leg” Zeff, and the home of the Straw Hat Pirates’ future battle cook Sanji. The sneak peek actually gives us what appears to be a look at the set from start to finish, beginning with the concept art.
From there, the sneak peek video progressed to the construction stage. We actually see sped-up footage of workers using cranes to lift the wooden framework of the Baratie set into place, while other workers work to attach them together. This includes the pair of platforms starboard and port of the restaurant serving what seems to be open-air dining areas. The construction footage unfortunately skips the painting and other decorative work. However, we do get a look at what the final product will look like in Netflix’s One Piece.
Not only that, but the construction of Baratie gives us a clue as to how they plan to make her look as though she’s in an actual dock. If you look around the footage of the construction, you can see that Baratie is sitting in a shallow pit. It seems likely that they will flood the pit with water to create the appearance of the restaurant being at sea. It’d be a neat special effects trick if this is the case. Why go through the expense of building an actual ship when you can build a set that looks like it?
Netflix’s One Piece: Set Sneak Peek ~ Other Sets Teased
It’s not just Baratie that’s on display for that One Piece: Set Sneak Peek video. We see “Red-Haired” Shank’s ship Red Force tied up in dock at what looks like Luffy’s hometown. Then immediately after we get a look at Baratie’s interior, we get to see what looks like the Alvida Pirates’ ship Miss Love Duck. As you can see above, it actually seems to feature more pink than the actual ship from canon, if you can believe it.
The biggest surprise of all though only lasts for a second. We actually get to see footage of what the Straw Hats’ Going Merry will look like in Netflix’s One Piece. As you can see above, the Going Merry looks a bit…different from what we see in canon. Most notably in the goat figurehead. The figurehead features the same semi-realistic cute yet disturbing design Miss Love Duck‘s figurehead has. Based on Baratie’s fish head bow, this seems to be an intentional design choice on Netflix’s part. Maybe the rest of Going Merry will compensate for that. Especially when Nami joins up, and starts growing her iconic tangerine trees on the poop deck.
There is one last ship the One Piece: Set Sneak Peek video showed off though that I’m utterly baffled by. You can see it for yourself above. It doesn’t look like any ship in canon proper. I can only speculate that it’s the live-action version of Shimashima Island: the small ship Sanji owned and used to get himself, Luffy, and Zoro to Arlong Park. My reasoning for that? The yellow and green triangle pattern along with the ship. It matches the color scheme of Shimashima Island. You can see her below for comparison.
Granted, that last bit is pure speculation barring any confirmation from Netflix. Take it with as many grains of salt as you like until then.
Conclusion
Even if you might disagree with the elements of these sets, you can’t deny that a lot of work went into them. It’s pretty clear that Netflix is going all out to try and make their live-action One Piece the best it can be. At least, in the visuals department. Everything else is up in the air at the moment until we actually get to see the show. Considering that the Set Sneak Peek video gave not a hint of a release schedule, that might take a while.
Source: Netflix YouTube
