Original subtitles

EPISODE 1

JUNE 10, 1871, 8TH YEAR OF GOJONG'S REIGN

At the coastal waters of Ganghwa, five American battleships were spotted.

They wanted permission to explore the Ganghwa area.

Then, they accused us of burning down a foreign ship

in Pyongyang back in 1866.

But today,

they wanted to establish diplomatic ties with us.

What kind of a country is this America?

America is a country founded by Washington

who negotiated with England.

You can think of it as a small village

and the people are no different than barbarians.

That is correct.

You should fight them off.

WARDEN OF HYEON

GOJONG

-Then-- -No.

We cannot establish diplomatic ties with barbarians.

Increase soldiers and cannons in the Ganghwa area.

From Military Training Corps, 2 units, Special Destruction Corps, 300 men,

a thousand geun of gun powder, ten crossbowmen

and 300 archers.

Only four more units were increased in the Ganghwa area?

That is only 500 soldiers at the most.

How could that be enough?

They probably have a lot more naval guns than we do.

You know how the regent is.

He worries more about revolts than Western barbarians.

He's worried there might be an uprising once more soldiers are dispatched.

He sure knows how to think ahead, doesn't he?

That being said,

your studies as a nobleman is honorable,

but maybe you could aid the regent--

You must have nothing better to do

seeing how you spend your time worrying about the nation.

I heard you moved to a bigger residence.

I'm sure it requires more female servants.

In order to serve the regent,

I guess I should be the Chief Magistrate of the capital.

Yes, of course.

Goodness.

Isn't that spot already occupied by someone?

It could be vacant by tomorrow.

You witty man.

But...

that girl is already married.

Let me find you a virgin--

Seeing how you are,

it is pretty obvious why you never made it far.

You can vacate a spot that is taken, by force

and get rid of a girl's husband if she has one.

You are absolutely right. Now, drink up.

That way, I can pour you another glass.

What are you looking at?

The sky, sir.

Why though?

I was thinking how one black bird can ruin the view of the sky.

Which house do you serve?

Why do you ask?

Your eyes should be glued to the ground.

The sky is too high for you.

If slaves look or aim high,

they tend to die young.

I know that, sir.

I knew last night's dream was a good sign.

Now this is what I call luck.

How dare you slaves try to run away!

Especially

you of all people.

You of all people?

What are you waiting for?

Roll him up.

-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

My lord, we are sorry.

Please forgive us!

We have committed a mortal sin.

Please don't kill him. Sir, I'm sorry!

He did nothing wrong. It was all me.

I asked him to run away.

-Please... -Father! Mother!

No, don't.

The boy would have known too.

-He didn't! -Take him.

He did not know, sir. Please believe me!

Please don't kill them, sir!

The child must bear its parents' sin too.

You sit there and watch.

Watch and learn what happens to slaves

who disobeys the law.

What are you waiting for?

Beat him.

Young master, please help.

Please help my father, young master.

He will die if you do not!

My father will roll me up too if I do. Go away.

People are watching. Just go!

Kill him.

It may be a waste of my property,

but this will teach the other slaves a lesson,

so I guess it is not all a loss.

Yu-jin!

Yu-jin...

You...

-Honey... -My dear!

Father...

Stop standing around and get that bitch!

Nobody move.

If you do, I will kill her.

Do not move. She told you to stay still!

You bitch, how dare you try to kill me!

The next cut will be deeper.

You save your children

and I will save mine.

Why you...

Pick it up. Now!

That is worth at least 3 mals of rice.

Do not exchange it for less. Take it and run

and do not come back.

Go. Run!

Mother...

-Go already! -Shut it!

Grab the bitch. No, grab the boy first.

Do not dare or I will stab the baby next.

Why you...

Hang in there. You must be strong.

Stop talking your way through this

and do something. I am close to dying!

Go, boy, go! Run away from here!

You pathetic fool.

Stop the boy!

Do not move!

Nobody take a single step.

I am watching who does!

Mother...

Go!

Please...

Our deaths won't be in vain if you escape!

Now, go. Go as far away as you can.

Why those little scoundrels...

My goodness, she is about to give birth!

-My dear, are you all right? -Do I look all right to you?

That idiot!

Move!

Kill me.

I very much want to,

but my rising in this world depends on her

which is why I will not.

I am dying. It hurts so much!

Can you not see that the yard is a mess?

Throw him out and clean the yard.

As for her, lock her--

Go! Please...

Now, go.

Go as far away as you can.

Where did he go? Find him.

That way.

This way.

His eyes are very bright.

His hair is disheveled but it suits him well and his nose is--

What? That's really what he looks like.

He's nine years old.

You have six days.

Don't worry, my lord.

Why spend money to find him?

He'll freeze or starve--

Shut your mouth!

He's an asset.

Hurry.

Yes, my lord.

He went that way.

Is the food to your taste?

You'll get sick if you eat so fast.

The well's over there.

-What? -It's worth three mals of rice,

but I'll only take two and a half.

The rest is for the food.

What good is that to me?

Shall I wear it?

You can make a profit if you sell it.

Where did you get it?

You look like a slave that escaped or an abandoned butcher's kid.

How am I to sell something you stole?

I'm no fool.

It wasn't stolen.

It's worth my mother's life.

That accessory is worth a life and some food?

How expensive.

It's too expensive for me.

Take it and get lost. I'm busy.

Then give me two mals of rice and let me stay the night.

I am so tired.

I said I'm busy.

Eun-san!

My goodness.

Did he swallow a hwatong whole? Why is his voice so loud?

Why are you back here?

I told you I won't sell my china.

Eun-san, what's a hwatong? Is it delicious?

You try eating one and see if it is.

Okay. Oh, the American ship came in.

I have money today.

Sell me your china.

Buy this, sell that. What's the problem with you all?

Get lost, both of you.

The Admiral likes Chinaware.

I have to return to America.

Go ahead then. I'm not stopping you.

You too.

Come on, Eun-san.

My goodness.

What do you want?

Where is America?

It's a bomb!

Fire!

Get out of here!

Get a grip and move!

Water.

Fire!

Fire. Fire.

Fire.

Fire!

Dad. Let's run away while we can.

-We'll all die! -You fool!

Who will guard this place if we run away?

Fire!

Fire!

Father, let's run away.

Hurry. Hurry!

Let's run away! Let's go.

Dad.

Dad, stay with me.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad!

Dad!

Dad...

Dad.

Was it you?

Are you the leader?

A total of 243 Joseon men died in battle

and 100 drowned.

General Heo also lost his life in the fight.

Did Joseon lose?

Many were killed

but we did not establish diplomatic ties

so I cannot say we lost, Your Majesty.

Then did America lose?

America may have a superior military force,

but they lost in the diplomatic sense.

It is their empty victory

and our fruitful defeat.

Such a defeat exists?

They took about 20 prisoners.

-We must bring them-- -Are you saying

we should negotiate with the barbarians?

We must save the men who fought for our country.

Shut your mouth!

We have no idea what they will demand in exchange for the prisoners!

Those who were taken prisoner

were captured because they failed to do their duty and survived.

They are cowards.

Our court does not welcome them back.

Send word that they are not to return.

What about the peace offer?

The peace offer

equates to selling our country.

You fool. Why are you not translating?

What did that man just say?

"We wanted to civilize the Joseon savages.

If they're not interested, leave it," is what he said.

You insolent fool!

How dare you speak such foul language! You are just a mere interpreter!

Hey.

What will happen to us?

Have you heard from the Joseon court?

Why do you think we didn't?

Whether you live or die is up to the foreigners.

Joseon has abandoned you.

That can't be. You're lying.

No country would turn against its people.

What are you talking about?

You're so ignorant and that's why you risk your lives fighting.

What did your country do for you? Aren't I right?

You son of a bitch.

I will kill you myself.

You just wait.

You piece of shit.

Aren't you Korean?

If you want to be one so much,

then you be my guest.

"Righteous"?

What a load of crap.

So you killed over 300 people because you are righteous.

In this case,

should I turn to Japan?

Father.

Father.

Father.

Seung-gu.

Mister.

Mister, my father...

Mister.

Father.

Father.

Nothing’s broken,

but you have cuts and bruises all over.

You’ll feel ill for a few days.

Sleep here for now

and tomorrow,

come with me to the kiln site.

I’m going to the mud hut.

I have to go home.

Father’s guns are there.

Why do you need guns when you can’t even kill an ant?

What would a gunner's son do other than be a gunner?

I know how to set a trap

and how to trim fox and rabbit fur--

It’ll be winter soon. You should go when spring comes.

Don’t worry about me, Mister.

I won’t starve.

Seung-gu.

Your father died

a righteous death.

He risked his life for his children

who will continue to live on this land.

Do not forget that.

Mister, I...

Mister, I...

I'll never die like my father.

That’s why I'm holding the gun once again.

To destroy this hell of a country that

abandoned its own people with my own hands.

Mister, I...

I'm going to become a rebel.

Who are you?

Are you the owner of this place? Let me ask you something.

Have you seen a boy yay high?

Should I have?

Look, mister.

You definitely haven’t seen him. Let’s go.

Il-sik!

Is this a piece of pottery?

Did I ever make something like this?

Shall we see if it breaks?

I told you to get lost.

I have nowhere to go.

So?

My father was beaten to death

and my mother threw herself into the well.

As you see,

the slave hunters are chasing me.

I’ll be beaten to death if they catch me

or starve to death if they don’t.

I have nowhere to go in this whole country.

Please help me.

That’s your problem.

I've got enough on my plate, boy.

Please help me.

I’ll go to America or wherever it is.

Just pretend like you never saw me.

Eun-san!

Eun-san, what’s going on? What's wrong with this boy?

The guy called “God” that you believe in.

Does he really exist?

Of course.

Does that guy really listen if you pray?

Of course.

Then pray loudly.

For all the Joseon men your people killed,

he must take care of him.

What do you mean?

Take him

to America or whatever it's called.

Me? Why?

Eun-san, seriously?

I'll get into trouble. I don’t know him.

Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.

This is for you.

I will repay you for your generosity.

Even with my life, I will--

Stop babbling nonsense and survive

and get to America.

You follow me. I’ll give you the pottery.

This is a disaster.

Eun-san, wait.

For goodness’ sake!

I got so scared that I spoke Joseon language!

Why are you following me?

-I have nowhere to go. -What?

Please take me in, sir.

Hey, boy. My hands are already full.

You wanted to come to America. This is America.

I helped you.

I beg of you, sir.

I’ll do whatever you ask.

I’ll eat less and work harder.

I only ask for a place to stay.

Joseon people scare me.

I give you an inch and now you want to take a mile?

You said God is everywhere, sir.

You said he hears everything.

Is he not here?

Wow, you are really

a smooth talker.

Fine.

Story of my life...

I’ll help you only for a while.

I can’t keep taking care of you.

Yes, sir.

You teach me Joseon language

and I'll go back to Joseon in three years.

Yes, sir.

What’s your name?

Choi Yu-jin, sir.

“Yu-jin”?

Eugenēus.

-Sorry? -You have a great name.

We have that name here, too.

Eugene.

The great and noble.

Thank you, sir. Thank you!

I was born the fifth son of a poor tenant farmer.

I blamed my family for having nothing.

But I realized that I was born with something extraordinary.

Something that will inevitability bring great wealth.

What is it?

It is Joseon.

Joseon.

Please give me 50,000 won.

If you do, I will give you Joseon.

Joseon for a mere 50,000 won.

It is not worth more than that.

As of now,

logistics support to major military camps in Joseon has been cut off for months.

With one fleet of Un'yō,

we can tear down all of Joseon

with a single blow.

She will open her ports

or sacrifice innocent lives of Joseon by your cannonballs.

Either way,

Japan will not suffer any loss.

Why is it only you guys? Where's Sang-wan?

Pack your bags. Carry the baby on your back. We have to run.

Did the revolt fail?

There was only one gunshot.

Just one without a return fire or a confirmed kill.

That means one of our own betrayed us.

Whoever that is, we should run.

I packed the bags.

Let’s go. We can think through this later.

I gave birth only yesterday.

If I go, we all die.

-Hurry. -What are you saying?

Just go!

I’ll try to buy you time as much as I can but it won't be long.

You have to survive and protect Sang-wan and my child.

Hui-jin!

Goodbye, my friends.

Goodbye, my baby.

Why aren't you picking it up?

Don’t you want your reward?

Lower

your gun.

I can’t.

I'm part of the Righteous Army,

after all.

How much did they pay you?

How much does it take

for you to live as a shameful father

and a shameful son

without honor,

without a country,

for the rest of your life?

For the sake of Joseon, I,

Lee

Wan-ik,

am asking you.

In the end, you never got the answer

because you took a snitch for a friend.

Of course.

Sang-wan wouldn't...

It was you. You're the traitor.

Do you think killing me

will change the fate of Joseon?

Behind you,

next to you,

and in front of you...

So many men live off the fate of Joseon.

Do you think

eliminating our organization can change your fate?

Bitch, you’re about to die.

Just answer my question.

Where are the other members?

They set off to kill you.

Even if it takes time

they will come for you.

Do it.

Come.

I will be selling Joseon piece by piece.

Young master!

Young master!

Oh, dear.

Poor young master!

Young master!

This child was born between Sang-wan and the woman he loved.

It’s a girl.

Young master!

Oh, no!

My lady.

Oh, my lady.

That is how I met

my grandfather for the first time.

In a small box barely a half foot long,

was my father and mother's soft ashes.

And that autumn,

the Joseon that many died to protect

was destroyed by the landing of the Japanese naval forces.

The number of their troops

was only 14.

1894, 31ST YEAR OF GOJONG REIGN

GABO REFORM

What does it say? Read it.

Oh, dear.

Il-sik, we are screwed.

What do you mean?

There was a reform

and slavery is abolished.

-What do we do? -What? Really?

What’s wrong with them?

The aristocrats who studied for the exams are screwed, too.

They got rid of both slavery and civil service examination.

They don’t look like they could’ve passed anyway.

-Il-sik, lower your voice. -Come on, get up.

Let's go. Opportunities are found in times of crisis.

What do slaves in the new world and aristocrats

who can’t enter the government service really need?

What is it?

ANYTHING YOU WANT

We keep things like a pawnshop,

find people like a detective agency,

and provide anything like a general store.

Anything you ask for, we do it.

Hence, it's called "Anything You Want."

One of those will work, right?

Yes, of course.

Il-sik, you have great instinct.

People think my name means, "dumb,"

but they don’t know anything.

But it does. Your name means, "dumb."

It doesn't!

My name means, "Never skip a meal."

Mom told me never to starve.

Il-sik, are you crying?

Il-sik, a customer.

Where?

He's the slave that belongs to the Yoo family.

We hunted him down for them.

Yoo family’s slave? So we know each other?

How have you been?

We're not in good terms.

We beat him with our feet and swords.

Did he see us?

I need to find someone. I have the money.

No need to tell me. You're looking for the man who ran away with your wife.

I'm single.

The man I want to find

is the landlord of the Yoo family, Yoo Jong-myeong.

The one who hunted me down.

What?

We aren’t experienced with aristocrats.

The world has turned upside down.

I guess the year of Gabo is the year of change.

How could you do this, my lord?

I still have debt left from the famine.

If you sell the land for tenant farming,

I’ll starve to death, my lord!

How dare you!

Did I bring famine?

It’s my land and I wish to sell it.

I have to sell that land to buy my grandchild a watch

and pay for him to go study abroad.

You should blame your ancestors for not leaving you a scrap of land.

How dare you come here and cause a scene.

We need the land to pay the debt.

We have to make a living somehow, my lord!

Please save me, my lord!

I have a family of seven, my lord!

Why you little... You ought to be punished.

If you don't have any land, you can pay it off with your body.

If you can't pay with farming,

you should think about of working as a slave.

Instead, you come crying and begging.

That's why you will always be the way you are.

Get him out of my sight!

My lord! My lord! Please have mercy on my family!

Let go!

My lord! My family!

Have mercy on my family!

My lord!

Just because the world has changed,

the lowly ones seem to think that they can speak their minds.

Yes.

You look handsome with your short hair.

Do you like my gift?

I didn't expect that you would give me something so precious.

My grandchild is studying abroad. I am so proud.

Broaden your knowledge while you are there,

and after about a year, come back and get married.

When you return,

I will arrange a position for you.

I am...

not interested in national affairs.

Did anyone ask you to manage national affairs?

That position will take care of you.

Since your father is unreliable,

I have only you to rely on in this turbulent world.

What I have accomplished,

you must protect.

You must make it greater.

In order to do that, you must not be satisfied with what you have,

and must not put a limit on how much one can have.

Just like this

infinite time.

Do you understand?

What do you think, my lady?

They are all lovely.

You are a bad liar.

How peculiar you are.

You seem more interested

in the daily newspaper than these jewels.

Come back in two weeks.

While I am reading all of this, arrange a bargain for me, too.

Yes, my lady.

Yesterday seemed like a distant past, today felt unfamiliar,

and tomorrow was terrifying. It was a time of turbulence.

All of us, each in their own way,

were living through the rapidly changing Joseon.

Joseon is becoming more and more dangerous.

And she seems to want to become a hidden fighter

throughout that time.

Which way are you going? I thought I should go that way...

It seems like we both got caught.

I have no intention of helping.

These days, Joseon is filled with oddities.

There is one in front of me.