How many can you spot?
Longtime fans of One Piece are sure to be thrilled by the amount of Easter eggs that appear in Netflix’s new live-action adaptation.
Following rookie pirate Monkey D Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) as he sets out to become the King of the Pirates, his crew become better known as the Straw Hats as they make countless enemies across the open seas.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, production designer Richard Bridgland explained: “The amount of detail is huge.”
He continued: “It goes even beyond what you’re going to pick up in the edited scenes, as well.
“So, for instance, in Baratie’s restaurant, if you look in the background there are all these paintings I did of landscapes of places Zeff had either been to or would know about in the One Piece world, which the fans will recognise instantly.
“I just put in all of these kinds of Easter eggs into every single set, so that the world was complete.”
Though the new series has a lot to offer those who are unfamiliar with the world of One Piece, fans of the franchise will be sure to recognise plenty of details along the way.
“I was aware at the beginning I had to honour Oda’s work in the manga, but also the were fans who have been reading this since 1997,” Bridgland added.
He continued: “They would have a huge kind of imaginative world in their heads of what One Piece looks like. The thing is, we couldn’t make everything look like what everybody would imagine, but we did make sure that we stayed very true to the spirit of what is in everything.”
While much of One Piece remains recognisable, there are a few notable changes made throughout Luffy’s quest to become a pirate.
“The biggest single [change] was Kaya’s mansion,” Bridgland told RadioTimes.com.
“All the scenes mentioned in the manga never go inside, and in the show, almost all of them take place inside the mansion.
“We had to create a world that was that no one had seen before, but what made it easy was that I based everything on the characters. For instance, in the dining room, we have a room that is just covered in porcelain plates and pots.
“Another set where I kind of deviated — but, again, because it described the character better — was Morgan’s office, which turned into this huge set with an enormously high ceiling.
“When I was reading his character, he’s a general in the army but he’s also bombastic and aggressive and self-regarding to an insane degree.”
He continued: “I just felt his room had to reflect that, as well. So it’s got a long walk up to his desk, you have to go up the steps to it.
“There are two enormous windows behind him, huge statues of Morgan at the doorway, huge portraits of Morgan winning victories on the battlefield.”
When it came to getting One Piece just right, the devil was in the detail for Bridgland and the rest of the production crew.
Read more One Piece:
- Netflix One Piece bosses conducted “global search” to find perfect Luffy
- One Piece creator asked for changes to live-action series
- One Piece director promises “spooky” live-action adaptation
- One Piece’s Luffy and crew prepare for battle in epic final trailer
- Meet the cast of One Piece: All the characters in the live-action series
“In terms of the Easter eggs that we created, I loved working with the lovely graphics artists to create the money, because it’s so detailed and it looks like real money. When you look at it, it’s completely One Piece because it’s got these characters on it.”
He continued: “We built everything in this world. It was proper old-fashioned filmmaking…
“What was really important was to give a believable foundation to the world. So I used 18th and 19th-century piracy, pirate galleons and all the language. And then we added all the One Piece elements on top of that.”
One Piece is now available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our anime coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.