As one of the most successful and popular anime and manga franchises to ever exist, it was only a matter of time before One Piece got a live-action adaptation. Mangaka Eiichiro Oda granted Netflix the rights to make the series, despite anime and manga live-action adaptations not having the most fruitful results in the past.
Many fans wondered how some of the iconic, colorful, and vibrant locations in One Piece would be brought to life by Netflix. Of particular importance were the ships, given that this is a show based around pirates, most prominently the Straw Hats who also serve as the protagonists, led by Captain Monkey D. Luffy, and their ship the Going Merry. Creating these aspects correctly was very important for those working behind the scenes, and now we have some insights.
What did One Piece’s director say about the crew handling the Going Merry?
Bringing the world of One Piece with all of its fantastical elements, over-the-top designs, and distinctly unique-looking features was undoubtedly a challenge, but the production crew clearly knew what they were doing. Iñaki Godoy, the actor who plays Luffy, shed some light on those who created the sets during an interview with TUDUM. He said:
“There’s a lot of very talented people (who worked on One Piece), but they also did some pirate shows before, so they already had ships and a lot of people that knew how to work in pirate-themed projects.”
Also read: 10 Movies and TV Shows of ‘One Piece’ Live Action Cast Anime Fans Must Watch
Their past experience with pirate shows definitely helped, but that didn’t stop director Steven Maeda from being highly impressed with the ships in particular. In an interview, he told IndieWire:
“Those ships are three-quarter sized, but they are still gigantic and need to be rigged correctly and sails hung correctly. Most of what you see when you are on those ships is the real deal. We needed the expertise of the crew in Cape Town to pull that off”.
Furthermore, the beautiful and lively locations in One Piece were brought to life in some carefully selected locations.
Where was One Piece shot?
There were three locations where One Piece was shot, which were Cape Town in South Africa, Quintana Roo in Mexico, and the Canary Islands in Spain. Each of those locations has played host to movies in the past, with many prominent films being shot there over the years.
Cape Town was presumably where the scenes featuring ships in the background or with people on board the ships were shot, as per the above quote from director Steven Maeda. In the same interview with TUDUM, Godoy too shared his experiences with filming in Cape Town, saying:
“It was a very beautiful place. The weather is pretty nice. It gets a little bit windy, so with (Luffy’s) vest, it can get a bit chilly.”
As for Quintana Roo, which is located on the eastern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula, it was used for its majestic forests and crystal clear water, and some scenes were also filmed at a resort called Xcaret. Lastly, the Canary Islands in Spain were used for their beautiful landscapes and were featured in scenes outside of ships and instead of land.
Source: Travel and Leisure Asia
