I enjoyed the first episode a lot, despite being utterly spoiled by asshole comments on manga sites (so I will obviously be refraining from speculating on plot or developments). That said, it doesn't reduce my enjoyment in this case, and has me looking forward to a lot of stuff based on the OP.

The acceleration of pacing over the manga will be welcome. That fight against the frog would have been months of chapters.

Seriously...so many asshole LN readers on manga adaptation comment sections the last few years. "Guessing" at the plot. Slime Tensei was spoiled for me the same way, again, thankfully without diminishing my enjoyment.