[24][30] The series has been defined by the writer as "chaotic and full of heterogenous elements", in which dystopian cartoon setting, classic tragedy narratives and theatrical dialogues are exasperated.

[31] The script also merged some of the writer's favorite novels, such as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Beauty and the Beast and Faust,[25][32] and a tribute to The Dark Knight Rises;[33] the opening scene of episode 12, in which Yo-han's aide, K, tells Ga-on that he'll lose everything if he stays with Yo-han, was written while thinking of the movie Let Me In, and in particular to the characters of Håkan, a middle-aged man who dies miserably living next to the lonely vampire Eli, and of Oskar, a child who bears the same fate.

[22] Other occurrences in the series draw inspiration from real events, such as Donald Trump's presidency, Brexit, Duterte's regime in the Philippines,[34] and the tweet published by terrorist Anders Breivik before carrying out the attacks of July 22, 2011, which is recalled in episode 10 in the first sentence of extremist Jukchang's manifesto, "One person who has faith is equal to the power of a million people who pursue only profit.

[35] The final message, conveyed by Kim Ga-on who wonders what needs to be done to create a world that doesn't need Kang Yo-han, is that, through everyone's joint efforts to change the system, it's not too late to prevent the social and political situation told by the series from transforming in reality.

[37][38] Apart from his friendship with writer Moon Yoo-seok,[26] Ji Sung decided to appear in the series to "look back at the idea of justice in the present age", to find and express a new side of himself, and because attracted by the unrealistic character of Kang Yo-han.

[48] The writer stated that he was struck by Park's defiant gaze and later discovered that he had actually read the synopsis and the script dozens of times, and that he even knew details unknown to him: this made him think he had found the perfect Ga-on, "sincere, competent and eager, but with an indistinct sense of resignation and anger.

[51] Impressed, in particular, by the idea of broadcasting the trials live throughout the nation, she met and interviewed a real judge to get a basic knowledge and understand how to play the role.

[58] Locations include Osstem's headquarters in Magok District, Seoul, for the exterior of Kang Yo-han's office,[59] Balan Outlet in Hwaseong[60] and Le Papillon Barber Shop in Gangnam,[61] while, for the Blue House, the crew used the reconstruction at the Hapcheon theme park.

Kang Yo-han's and Kim Ga-on's suffering was expressed with instrumental strings solos, while for the moments in which Jung Sun-ah plots, the choice fell on the EDM genre; in addition to original pieces, the soundtrack makes use of Erik Satie's Gnossienne No.

[76] Instead, Choi Sang-jin of Seoul Economic Daily felt that the first episode had struck a perfect balance by combining "exhilarating rapid development, sophisticated directing and excellent performances by the actors".

[79] He attributed the diverse audience reactions to the series to its "terribly skeptical elitism", commenting that the way the population was swayed made sad and bitter even the reminiscence to the Gwangju massacre of May 18, 1980 and to the candlelit vigils calling for Park Geun-hye's resignation, which are recalled in the indiscriminate assaults suffered by the residents of Hyeongsan-dong in episode 13.

[80] In reviewing the first ten episodes, Bryan Tan of Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore called the series "a chaotic dystopian circus of greed and corruption," whose hallmarks are theatrics, drama and pageantry, deeming it "explosively dramatic" and continually improving.

"[81] At the end of the broadcast, Kim Hyun-rok of SpoTV News complimented the acting and chemistry of the actors, believing they harmonized with "detailed narrative development that caught us off guard and sophisticated direction that vividly displayed a virtual dystopian Korea.

"[84] On the contrary, Lee Jung-hyun of Yonhap News argued that The Devil Judge had shown "no attraction beyond spectacle and vicarious satisfaction" and that, despite the broadcaster's emphasis on promoting social justice, ordinary people were relegated to "bridesmaids" while the protagonists faced the government that had hidden the truth.

"[80] Park Chang-gi of TenAsia criticized the unconvincing and hardly credible development of the story, decreed that the conclusion drawn by The Devil Judge was that killing for personal revenge was justified, and deemed that the ending was empty and left only a sense of disappointment.

[86] Pierce Conran of the South China Morning Post found the start of the series strong and promising, then he commented that it veered towards a middle stretch "full of ups and downs as the story meanders between fun moments and finger-twiddling lulls.

[88] The Devil Judge figured in tenth place on Forbes' list of the best Korean dramas of 2021 for "strong performances and the parody of some too-close-for-comfort political realities".

[93] Interviewed about a possible second season at the end of the airing, writer Moon Yoo-seok declared his willingness to write it and that he wanted to try a more light-hearted action series, like Sherlock and Lupin.