It was more brutal than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a cozy, feel-good anime, but instead we got a few surprisingly violent scenes. I actually liked that contrast.
I also enjoyed the pacing. Rather than focusing on a single cast of characters, the first episode jumps from generation to generation, telling the history of the world instead. We get to see civilization grow and change around the dragon, which I thought was a really interesting approach.
My only real issue is that the animation could be better at times. That said, I do like the overall art style, so it didn't take away too much from the experience.