I have read the manga and the early manga definitely gives me Kino's Journey/Mushishi vibes. Those are two of my all-time favorite anime and Frieren is probably the closest I have ever come to having that same feeling in manga form. So, I am super excited about it as well.
Definitely excited for this one and hope it holds up to the manga. The series has such a unique atmosphere with it's contemplation of the passage of time and its effects on relationships, memories, and the progress of technology (or in this case, magic). Also has a very interesting spin on demons in fantasy.
The fact that they are devoting two hours to tell the first part of the story gives me a lot of confidence that they are taking the time to tell the story in a deliberate way. I have written elsewhere that this series really reminds me of Mushishi and everything I liked about that show, so I am super excited that they seem to be giving it the pacing that it needs to help the story hit.