Review: 75636 Windmill Village Hut
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO ONE PIECE was announced in January and the range will finally be launched later this week. 75636 Windmill Village Hut seems like a suitable place to commence our reviews of these sets, as it portrays the formative moment when Monkey D. Luffy receives his famous hat!
All three minifigures are exclusive to this set and the included structure captures a surprising level of detail. Moreover, the model includes a wall to display all the collectable posters found across the ONE PIECE range, along with a printed poster to get the collection started, so I am curious to look at those.
Summary
75636 Windmill Village Hut, 299 pieces.
£24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 | 8.4p/10.0c/10.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Luffy's introduction to piracy is a wonderful introduction to LEGO ONE PIECE!
- Highly detailed building
- Faithful to the series
- Appealing minifigures
- Wanted poster display board
- Limited interior access
- A bit fragile, for a play set
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Monkey D. Luffy appears in all the new sets, but his younger minifigure is only available here and looks superb. The hair element has been created specifically for Luffy and captures lovely detail, while the 'anchor' shirt corresponds with this scene in the modern Netflix series, plus the manga and anime. Dual-moulded arms for short sleeves would have been ideal, however.
Luffy's eyes are slightly larger than normal, intended to show his young age, which is relatively effective. Otherwise, I like his wide smile and the crying face is interesting, again reflecting this scene in the live action series. The minifigure carries a straw hat with a moulded hand grip and an ingeniously-assembled Devil Fruit, comprising two purple crown pieces interlocked.
Shanks serves as a mentor for Luffy, giving him the straw hat after saving the boy from a sea monster. The character's distinctive red hair is nicely represented and his baggy shirt matches the onscreen costume. I am less certain about his cloak, which seems to have a blue tint in the show, not reflected by this black fabric.
Also, I wonder whether the cloak could have been designed to wrap around Shanks' left arm, which he loses rescuing Luffy. Minifigure arms are not intended to be removed from the torso piece, so perhaps a second torso should have been provided with a new arm element already attached, similar to Autumn's mini-dolls in LEGO Friends.
Even without that, Shanks is a great minifigure and also comes with a straw hat, this time dual-moulded with his hair. Makino, the owner of Partys Bar, completes the trio. Though lacking her headscarf, this dark green hair component works and the gold and dark red design on her torso looks splendid, but I wish the plain grey dress was patterned as well.
The Completed Model
Luffy grows up in Foosha Village, also known as Windmill Village, a small port settlement. The model depicting this location should perhaps include a windmill, given its name, but Partys Bar appears more prominently and looks superb in LEGO form. I love the rickety boardwalk and the rustic aesthetic in general, contrasting with other location-based sets in this range.
A boat is included to dock against the jetty, or perhaps for Luffy's encounter with a sea monster. Either way, this element has never appeared in medium nougat before and the crate inside is a useful addition as somewhere to keep the Devil Fruit. A bench where the figures could sit would have been welcome, however.
I like the wedge plates across the jetty, giving an impression of wear. Furthermore, its angle in relation to the building makes the setting seem more natural and the wooden railing looks nice too, following the shape of the jetty.
Partys Bar is relatively small, but matches the location onscreen. Again, the wooden structure looks good and I like the blend of studs and tiles across its exterior, although it feels strangely fragile for a model with an 8+ age recommendation, particularly where blue pieces comprising the base are attached to the vertical supports.
Among the bar's recognisable features is the surfboard menu beside the entrance, which uses three stickers. Unsurprisingly, I would prefer a printed surfboard, although the vital hula dancer translates perfectly to minifigure form on the sticker!
The roof is removable, which improves access to an extent, but still not enough to play inside properly. There is not much room for minifigures because of the furniture included, admittedly, although a folding or detachable wall would have given better access. On the other hand, you can see plenty of detail from outside, including a stickered neon sign behind the bar.
While certain details are moved or condensed, there are plenty of features accurate to the bar from the Netflix series. For instance, Shanks uses the mop and bucket located in the corner to clean the floor after an unpleasant encounter with a bandit and the life ring suspended from the ceiling onscreen is instead placed behind the bar.
Speaking of which, there is room for Makino to stand behind the bar too, attached to a jumper plate for easy removal. The shelves along the wall look great, laden with various tankards and glasses.
These shelves are clipped to lattice windows typically used as prison bars, which work equally well as wooden supports. Additionally, I love how the palm tree is constructed using a stack of cones, topped with another of those crown elements and a couple of fronds. It would probably look even better if the tree was bigger, but for its size, I am happy with this design.
Eight collectable wanted posters are distributed randomly across the ONE PIECE theme, with one tile in this set and two, four or five in each of the rest. These tiles are obviously a gimmick, but one I enjoy and you can display them all on this wall. I was lucky to receive Gol D. Roger's poster, which is apt because some of the other pirates with wanted posters became active after the events of this set.
The roof blends tan and medium nougat parts to create a thatched effect, with grille tiles, rock parts and 1x1 tooth plates adding more texture. Its construction is fairly simple, but details like the overlapping pieces on the roof peak look marvellous.
Overall
75636 Windmill Village Hut may be the smallest of the new ONE PIECE sets, but it should not be overlooked. The young Monkey D. Luffy and Shanks figures are highly desirable and I love the two straw hat accessories included, so you can recreate Luffy receiving his hat. Apart from some stickers, it really feels like no expense was spared.
That quality extends to Partys Bar, which is remarkably detailed for a set of this size. Access to the interior could be better, but the model looks brilliant and I am quite satisfied with its price of £24.99, $29.99 or €29.99. Though other sets in the range are arguably more eye-catching, this peaceful scene is very charming.
106 likes
33 comments on this article
I have never read or watched One Piece but I really love the aesthetic of this set. One to pick up for sure, especially if it goes on a 25% discount on Amazon.
I like the poster collecting but the community has historically soured on this concept.
I slept on the live-action show until the reveal of these sets. Can you blame me? Live-action adaptations have a reputation for being pretty bad, and Netflix' previous attempts did nothing to remedy that. But when the One Piece sets were revealed, they did trigger the impulse to watch the show. Turns out - it's pretty good.
I would've liked this set even if the show had turned out to be crap, now it's just an additional reason to get it.
This is making me think of 6258 that was also horribly fragile for a play set.
@MisterBrickster said:
"I have never read or watched One Piece but I really love the aesthetic of this set. One to pick up for sure, especially if it goes on a 25% discount on Amazon."
As someone who has never been drawn into the manga or anime, I highly recommend the live action series. Mainly BECAUSE it translates the madness that is normal for anime so well into live action!
I've been eagerly awaiting this treasure for a long time! The fact that theyeven made a 'Romance Dawn' (if you know you know) set is truly impressive (plus i think it's the only set with Shanks!) As a lifelong One Piece fan (manga mainly with anime occasionally) I was genuinely impressed with the Netflix adaptation (there were a few niggles of course but overall they found the good balance in the end) and these Lego sets don't disappoint!! I'll definitely be getting this one as well as 75637 Buggy the Clown's Circus Tent
75637 until i can afford 75639 Going Merry. I'll be setting sail to Tokyo Station Lego Store on Friday to check out the other promo stuff, will keep you posted on Discord! Arrrrrr me hearties!!!
@jkb said:
" @MisterBrickster said:
"I have never read or watched One Piece but I really love the aesthetic of this set. One to pick up for sure, especially if it goes on a 25% discount on Amazon."
As someone who has never been drawn into the manga or anime, I highly recommend the live action series. Mainly BECAUSE it translates the madness that is normal for anime so well into live action!"
As a fan of the manga/anime.. this captures everything so well! Oda worked closely with the show to make sure it was faithful which helps. Unlike other Animie live action adaptations this is amazing to be fair!
Casting was hand picked by Oda too!
Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps?
not a single clue about the manga/anime other that it's about a pirate treasure and that it's basically a neverending story...
but this is a really neat little set - I'll be buying it on a discount and salvage it for the parts and minifig pieces.
I like this and will most likely get it despite not following the series or the anime. Most of the blue parts under the bar are probably fine except the one in the left. This could be replaced with a plate 6x6 with box part 6093691 plus a couple of tan plates to attach it to the rest of what is under the bar - It's sad when Lego cuts corner that way just to save a few cents. Nice and detailed review as always.
@Huw or @CapnRex101 how to you link a Lego part? I can link sets but I never learnt how to link parts.
Unnecessarily complex, still a solid playset.
@Ephseb said:
"not a single clue about the manga/anime other that it's about a pirate treasure and that it's basically a neverending story..."
Lore time! (Based on my own recent viewing of the Netflix series and skimming wikis.)
The show's nominally about a treasure, the titular "One Piece" of Captain Gol D. Roger. For the ensemble main cast, it's about pursuing individual aspirations (becoming king of the pirates, mapping the world, finding new flavors, etc.). The longer theme is freedom vs. central control, in the shape of the World Government and its Marines. The really long theme is about the World Government obscuring history to prevent recurrence of an Atlantis-type global disaster.
Yes, the show's been airing for 25 years, but the Netflix live-action adaptation is rather less interminable. Its eight one-hour episodes correspond to 45 half-hour animated episodes or 96 chapters of the manga.
Why does adult Luffy have a black scar like in the anime but kid Luffy doesn’t?
@StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
We have lego bars in Mos Eisley Cantina sets. We had one in Ideas "Friends" set.
Not bad for what it is, but easily the least attractive set of the bunch, and not just because of the size. Only interesting bit is the Shanks minifig, and you hit the jackpot with the Gol D. Roger poster!
Are you guys gonna review them all?
This is such a neat little set. One Piece live action is amazing, so I might get this.
I never had any real interest in the manga or either show, and there are other sets I'm more interested in, but this looks to be a pretty nice set! I like that a minifigure can hold Luffy's hat by the brim. The Devil's Fruit is, as you say, cleverly constructed; I thought that was a new-mold piece at first glance.
@HOBBES said:
" @Huw or @CapnRex101 how to you link a Lego part? I can link sets but I never learnt how to link parts."
You simply cut-and-paste the URL of the element's page, and the element will show up when the link is hovered over, like when you put a hashtag before a set number: https://brickset.com/parts/6093691/plate-6x6-w-bow
The dual molded hair on the hat piece for Shanks is incredible!
@thor96 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
We had one in Ideas "Friends" set."
I haven't seen much Friends, but I thought that was a coffee shop.
Have any of the Hogsmeade bars been made in the Harry Potter line? I remember getting a tapped barrel of butterbeer or whatever in an Advent Calendar.
Two of this sets will be very nice beach bar for my coastal city!
One Piece Rocks
I haven't seen the live action show but I have seen various clips of the anime. This is also something that can be slotted in any setting and be cool.
@StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
910030
79004
Anything with Captain Jack Sparrow. :o)
@yellowcastle said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
910030
79004
Anything with Captain Jack Sparrow. :o)"
Thanks for reminding me. I 'ave two copies of 4193 .
@RogueWhistler said:
" @thor96 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
We had one in Ideas "Friends" set."
I haven't seen much Friends, but I thought that was a coffee shop.
Have any of the Hogsmeade bars been made in the Harry Potter line? I remember getting a tapped barrel of butterbeer or whatever in an Advent Calendar."
Friends was coffee. Mos Eisley is just a wink, nod, 'whatever he's having' Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters.
Hogsmeade 76388 is butterbeer which is served to children. Though, it does have 'no kids' days when harder stuff like fire whiskey is surely served.
@TheOtherMike said:
"I never had any real interest in the manga or either show, and there are other sets I'm more interested in, but this looks to be a pretty nice set! I like that a minifigure can hold Luffy's hat by the brim. The Devil's Fruit is, as you say, cleverly constructed; I thought that was a new-mold piece at first glance.
@HOBBES said:
" @Huw or @CapnRex101 how to you link a Lego part? I can link sets but I never learnt how to link parts."
You simply cut-and-paste the URL of the element's page, and the element will show up when the link is hovered over, like when you put a hashtag before a set number: https://brickset.com/parts/6093691/plate-6x6-w-bow "
Thank you for that. Let's try this with a part I'd like to see make a comeback (it exists still but not in that color)
https://brickset.com/parts/370324/brick-1x16
or even better
https://brickset.com/parts/4187280/fence-1x4x1
@StyleCounselor said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
910030
79004
Anything with Captain Jack Sparrow. :o)"
Thanks for reminding me. I 'ave two copies of 4193 ."
I never saw the movie but I just had to have 4193 The London Escape. PotC had such wonderful sets.
@yellowcastle said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Nice review per usual. Nice set. Good figs. Good detail. Missing a few things, but on the whole decent value.
Is this our first true Lego bar as opposed to the pub in the Tudor Corner without taps? "
910030
79004
Anything with Captain Jack Sparrow. :o)"
Thanks for reminding me. I 'ave two copies of 4193 ."
I never saw the movie but I just had to have 4193 The London Escape. PotC had such wonderful sets."
Yeah, I haven't seen any of them, but I got a couple of the sets: 4191 (mainly for the ships in bottles and the globe) and 4195, because the only other pirate ship I had was 6250.
@Trigger_ said:
"Why does adult Luffy have a black scar like in the anime but kid Luffy doesn’t?"
Luffy stabs himself in the face to prove that he is strong enough to be a pirate to Shanks (shown early in the manga, the anime waited a long time to reveal that). This occurred shortly before he ate the devil fruit.
Could be that Lego wanted to keep that lore edited for the set.
Never heard anything about One Piece (I never liked anime to begin with), but the set looks pretty great for a stilt port bar. Nice aestethics you got there.
@markisnot said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"Why does adult Luffy have a black scar like in the anime but kid Luffy doesn’t?"
Luffy stabs himself in the face to prove that he is strong enough to be a pirate to Shanks (shown early in the manga, the anime waited a long time to reveal that). This occurred shortly before he ate the devil fruit.
Could be that Lego wanted to keep that lore edited for the set. "
@Trigger @markisnot
Little Luffy in this set does have a scar. I just built mine.
@Darth_Savren said:
" @markisnot said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"Why does adult Luffy have a black scar like in the anime but kid Luffy doesn’t?"
Luffy stabs himself in the face to prove that he is strong enough to be a pirate to Shanks (shown early in the manga, the anime waited a long time to reveal that). This occurred shortly before he ate the devil fruit.
Could be that Lego wanted to keep that lore edited for the set. "
@Trigger @markisnot
Little Luffy in this set does have a scar. I just built mine."
It’s a different color. Young Luffy has the live-action accurate one, older Luffy has the manga/anime one.
@Trigger_ said:
" @Darth_Savren said:
" @markisnot said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"Why does adult Luffy have a black scar like in the anime but kid Luffy doesn’t?"
Luffy stabs himself in the face to prove that he is strong enough to be a pirate to Shanks (shown early in the manga, the anime waited a long time to reveal that). This occurred shortly before he ate the devil fruit.
Could be that Lego wanted to keep that lore edited for the set. "
@Trigger @markisnot
Little Luffy in this set does have a scar. I just built mine."
It’s a different color. Young Luffy has the live-action accurate one, older Luffy has the manga/anime one."
I’ll take your word for it. On my two mini figures the scar print looks to be the same colour. Bricklink inventory is not up yet so waiting to confirm.