I read the source material in the manga, and I've watched Apple Tv's live action adaptation, but I still miss the first Japanese Live Action. With this premise allow me to say that the review, in my honest opinion, should be based on the anime itself and not by comparison without proper context! It's like asking NETFLIX's One Piece Live Action to adapt the story of One Piece with the same depth of Toei's animation. If you really want to start by comparison I found that this anime would be the fastest way to experience this wonderful story without having to read 46 volume of a manga,as the manga may also be not be easy to access - and it's still way more faithful than Apple's Live Action which is filled with changes and a way too serious tone although it is quite good too. This being said the manga is the better medium to feel the whole story as we're talking about 46 volumes + 24 for the second part which is still being translated at the moment. I started reading manga thanks to The Drops Of God being free on Prime Reading in Italy years ago and never stopped since, it's one of my favorite stories ever hands down.

I think it's quite unreasonable to pretend a super long and faithfully paced adaption, as having two consecutive cours nowadays is already huge, so I really do appreciate all the effort by the studio - with an impressive combo of Opening and Ending Theme Songs + colors and voice actors up to the task. I read online that people would bury this anime on some sloppy animation on episode 1 but I can assure you this anime doesn't really need some shonen sakuga to tell its story. You should taste it slowly and enjoy it... like a fine wine.

P.S. I am watching this adaption with a friend who never experienced the story and she is enjoying it a lot, it's a mature story that could easily be adapted in asian drama and has pacing similar to The Apothecary Diaries or Journal with Witch. It's about people, bonding and emotions. Don't sleep on it.