Both The Duo and The Murky Stream (Takryu) are Joseon-era historical dramas that focus on the lives of people shaped by harsh social realities rather than palace intrigue, dealing with class injustice, corruption, and survival in a morally complex world — The Duo follows two men switched at birth who grow up on opposite sides of society and confront systemic corruption and inequality as a bandit and a police chief, while Takryu centers on characters like a former gangster, a righteous merchant, and an honest official struggling against the corrupt structures of late Joseon society — giving each series a gritty, character-driven look at societal struggle, fate, and the fight for justice in a turbulent historical setting.
