[10] However, the series was also criticized for what some perceived as an inaccurate representation of historical facts, accusing it of being "pro-Japanese", while others argued that it actually enforced stereotypes of the Japanese as villains and the Americans as heroes.

After his father is beaten to death and his mother dies protecting him, young Eugene escapes to the United States at the time of the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident with the help of a Christian missionary.

When he returns to Korea as a captain serving in the US legation in Hanseong, Eugene meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a nobleman's granddaughter who is secretly a freedom fighter and sniper for the Righteous Army.

Eugene also encounters Gu Dong-mae, a ruthless samurai; and Kudo Hina, the Joseon-born widow of a wealthy Japanese man and owner of the popular "Glory Hotel".

[54] Historical figures such as Emperor Gojong, Itō Hirobumi, Hayashi Gonsuke, Hasegawa Yoshimichi, Horace Newton Allen and the Five Eulsa Traitors[53] appear as recurring characters, with others, such as Theodore Roosevelt,[12] Ahn Chang-ho,[51] Imperial Noble Consort Sunheon,[55] Park Seung-hwan,[54] and Frederick Arthur MacKenzie, also making cameo appearances.

[58] The drama is the third collaboration between Kim and director Lee Eung-bok, after Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017).

[71] The Korea Times applauded the drama for shedding light on those deemed peripheral in society, such as women and the lower classes, and for successfully laying out contradictions and hope in the fast-evolving late Joseon period; it also praised the show's strong female characters.

[71] In particular the character Gu Dong-mae, who had been portrayed as a member of the Black Dragon Society, a pro-Japanese organization,[74] was criticized, with many feeling that the series tried to justify his actions against Joseon.

[76] The drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).