The drama is based on a manhwa with the same title. Tamna the Island is set in 17th-century Joseon times as a young English castaway, William, comes to the island and meets Jang Beo Jin, Park Kyu, and Yan. The name "Tamna" refers to what is now called Jeju.

The show started with low viewership, so the network wanted to cut it short to move on to other dramas. They trimmed and compressed arcs, which hurt the flow. Later, because the show gained a cult following (especially overseas), the full 21-episode version was released on DVD and internationally which contains full intended story with a different ending.