Finally get to watch the unsubbed version of the TV video...
I will have to say the animation style is not bad. The somewhat changed character designs do not bother me too much.
I am not going to comment on the story - I already know the story ahead of time, so I can follow the really fast first half of the episode. The second half of the episode slows down quite a bit. There are some minor changes from the original plot (some scenes are new).
Now is down to the pace and animation quality of the rest of series...