I mentioned wanting this set a long time ago.
The kids and I had started getting into anime together; we watched quite a bit of One Piece, and I thought the Going Merry would be a fun LEGO set for us to build.
Plus… Pirate ships are awesome.
That’s pretty much all the justification I needed.
Apparently my family remembered, because the Going Merry showed up for my birthday!
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TL;DR
I’m having a blast with this one.
The LEGO ONE PIECE Going Merry Pirate Ship (75639) has:
- 1,376 pieces
- Five Straw Hat minifigures
- A bunch of small details from the series
- & an MSRP of $139.99.
But my favorite part isn’t really any of that.
I got it for my birthday, and I’ve been building it with my three kids while we watch the live-action One Piece.
- We hunt for pieces together
- Take turns building
- Argue over who gets which minifigure
- & occasionally I have to make sure we’re not about to make a mistake that’ll require me to go back 80 pages
(I’ve learned that lesson before)
At the time I’m writing this, I’m seeing it on Amazon for around $111.99, versus its normal $139.99 MSRP.
At that price?
Yeah, I’d absolutely recommend it to a One Piece fan.
I wouldn’t pay full price if I didn’t have to, though.
LEGO and video games have something in common:
They’ve gotten expensive.
Wait for the deal.
Get it here: Check the current Going Merry price on Amazon
This Has Been One of the More Fun LEGO Builds I’ve Done
I’ve built quite a few LEGO sets at this point.
And somewhere around bag two, I realized I really liked this one.
It keeps changing.
That’s important.
Some larger LEGO builds look incredible when they’re finished but become repetitive while you’re actually putting them together.
- Build this section
- Now build almost the exact same section again
- And again
The Going Merry hasn’t felt like that so far.
We’re six bags in, and there’s enough variety that I’m still interested in seeing what the next section is going to add.
That’s my biggest compliment to the actual building experience.
- It’s fun to build
- Seems obvious
- It isn’t always
Watching One Piece While Building It Makes It Better
We’ve already watched quite a bit of the One Piece anime, so everyone knows the Going Merry and the characters.
While we’re building, we’ve also had the live-action show playing.
I’m technically somewhere around halfway through Episode 1.
The kids are closer to Episode 3.
(That’s because they’re actually watching it.)
I’m building a pirate ship.
But having the show running in the background completely changes the atmosphere.
When one of the kids gets tired of hunting for tiny LEGO pieces, they can watch the show for a while.
Then they see something that gets their attention and come back to the build.
It keeps everyone involved without forcing everyone to sit around the table doing the exact same thing for hours.
It just…
sets the vibe.
That’s my favorite thing about the entire experience.
Check out how I Slept on One Piece… Here’s Why I Was So Wrong
The Little Details Are What Make It
This is the stuff I always appreciate in LEGO sets.
Not necessarily the giant sails or the overall shape of the ship.
It’s the tiny things you discover while building.
- Food
- Pizza
- Fruit
- Dishes
- Treasure chests
- Wanted posters
- Little interior areas
Things that would be completely unnecessary if the only goal was making something that vaguely looked like the Going Merry.
LEGO officially built several interior spaces into the model, including:
- The crew cabin
- Kitchen
- Storage area
- & Workshop.
There are also four Wanted posters included. Those details make the build more interesting.
They’re also what the kids notice.
And Obviously… The Minifigures
The set includes:
- Monkey D. Luffy
- Zoro
- Nami
- Usopp
- Sanji
That’s the crew you’d expect, and LEGO did a nice job integrating them into the ship rather than simply tossing five minifigures into the box.
The kids love them.
Which means I love them.
And if I have to choose a favorite?
Come on.
It’s Luffy.
Is the LEGO Going Merry Worth $139.99?
I’m going to sound like I do when we talk about video games.
Find a deal.
The Going Merry’s official price is $139.99.
Do I think it’s a good LEGO set?
Absolutely.
Do I think you need to sprint to Amazon and pay full price because I said I like it?
No.
At the time I’m writing this, I’m seeing it around $111.99 on Amazon.
That’s much more attractive to me.
- LEGO has gotten expensive
- Video games have gotten expensive
- Everything has gotten expensive
I’ve become much more patient about buying both.
If there’s something I want, I’ll wait.
A sale will come.
And at around $112, I’d feel a little better about this set than I would at $140.
Find it here: Check the current price on Amazon
Who Should Buy the Going Merry?
This is where I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody.
If you’ve never watched One Piece and don’t particularly care about it, I wouldn’t spend $140 on this.
Yes, it’s a cool pirate ship.
But so much of what makes it fun comes from recognizing what you’re building.
- Knowing the characters
- Recognizing the little details
- Understanding why the Going Merry matters
I’d primarily recommend it for One Piece fans, families who watch the show together, older kids, and adult LEGO collectors who like One Piece.
LEGO itself rates the set for ages 10+, which feels reasonable based on our experience so far.
If you’re just looking for a random LEGO ship?
There are other options.
If you love One Piece?
Different conversation.
Is It Good for Families?
Yes.
This is where I’d recommend it the most.
Not because four people need to build the same LEGO set.
Because it gives you something to do together.
We’ve turned ours into:
LEGO + One Piece + hanging out.
- Someone builds
- Someone hunts pieces
- Someone watches the show
- Then we switch
There’s enough going on that everyone can participate without everybody needing to be completely locked into the build for six straight hours.
That’s worked extremely well for us.
And it reminds me why I like LEGO as a gift in the first place.
I talked about this in LEGO Gifts for Adults, but a LEGO set isn’t something you open for five minutes and forget about.
The gift becomes an activity.
And then you still have something when you’re finished.
My Verdict So Far
We’re not finished.
So I’ll come back and update this once all ten bags are done and the Going Merry is sitting behind me.
But after six bags and roughly seven hours?
This has been one of those LEGO sets where the experience of building it is as important as the finished product.
That’s my favorite thing about it.
- Not the 1,376 pieces
- Not the minifigures
- Not even the pirate ship
It’s sitting around with my family, building the Going Merry while One Piece plays in the background.
- It’s a good vibe
- It’s really fun
- & eventually we’ll have something sitting on the shelf that reminds me of doing it.
That’s what makes this one worth it to me.
If you’re already a One Piece fan and can catch the Going Merry on sale?
I’d buy it.
Get it here: Check the LEGO Going Merry Pirate Ship on Amazon