First two episodes screened at Otakon. Impressions:-Characters and designs/backgrounds are a bit closer to CLAMPS's art and designs, but lose a lot from the original show since they're so clean and modern/digital and sterile. The original series' art and hand drawing lends a lot to the original series' charm. There are some nice scenes where the effects do add, such as when they try to emulate CLAMPS' full magical/art effects (like when the girls get their magic). Animation/movements are obviously way better then the original. -The script is a bit tweaked from the Manga and original show, with little bits of world building like places and spells and terms/titles in Cefiro being fleshed out a tiny bit more.-The music sucks compared to the original. I barely noticed it when I was actively listening. The original soundtrack is all bangers. They didn't show the opening or the ending song, so I'm talking about the background music.-The acting portrays the girls way differently. Umi is more generic Okubo Rumi cutesy pootsey, and feels more like a modern funny overreacting girl, a lot of her brattier/more selfish elements have been smoothed out. Hikaru is way more of a bokuko tomboy then a hyper genki ball of energy and is way toned down from the original performance. Fuu's weirdness and ojou-ness is played up a lot. Ono Yuki Zagato is way younger and pretty boy sounding then the deepass voice guy who played him originally.
>>289816437-Pacing is way slower. Episode 2 ends with them still in the cage in Presea's having just met her and Mokona. It is following the original TV series though, since Caldina is there (no Innova though yet).-The contrast in the older style of plot/storytelling and modern aesthetics is very weird. Ironically, considering it's more modern, has way more visible budget, and is a bit more "cinematic", it lacks and doesn't focus on the impact of certain key moments. It isn't as "epic" or grand fantasy feeling as the original, like a more modern isekai, its moving along to the next scene as smooth as possible.
