Don't get me wrong, the animation should have been a lot better (looking at you Karna vs Sieg), but I felt that the voice acting was on point and the drama was handled well.
I particularly expected Vasavi Shakti and Akkhileus Kosmos to look a lot cooler, but alas, animators live hard lives (contrary to popular belief, budget only comprises a limited portion of animation quality, with most of the actual brilliance being due to the animators. Hence, weekly shows are in general much less dazzling than movies because the latter gives animators way more time to work than the former and there's less to draw).
As for the characters:
I found Sieg's arc to be decent. Not amazing, but decent. He goes from simply prioritizing survival given his limited lifespan, to learning about what it means to be human, taking those lessons and deciding to try to help his fellow homunculi experience what he has, and growing to marvel at the world for what it is and can be thanks to Jeanne's and Astolfo's optimism. That optimism is later blunted by the wanton cruelty that humans are capable of, as seen with Sieg's interaction with Jackie. Ultimately, he stays true to his ideals despite beginning to doubt the worth of his humanity, being acknowledged as a true hero and a worthy adversary by Karna.
It's satisfying enough, nothing outstanding, but satisfying for a character who began with literally 0 personality other than basal survival instincts.
As for Atalanta, her motivations are still clear, even if her arc wasn't handled that well. Artemis' kindness towards her inspired Atalanta to go out of her way to repeat the deed with others, seeking to protect as many children as she can who were otherwise abandoned, neglected, or hurt by other people.
Seeing 80,000 children be exorcised at once mentally broke her as everyone she grew to rely upon, even Achilles, ultimately told her that her dream was impossible because somewhere there will always be a child suffering that Atalanta can't save. The combination of her disillusionment with the saintly Ruler, the seeming lack of empathy from anyone else towards children, and the lingering effects of Jackie's dying illusion sent her into a blind rage that was only exacerbated by her decision to use Agreus Metamorphosis, only regaining her clarity after her fatal duel with Achilles. I find her to be sympathetic enough to care about her, but I can admit she's fairly one note.
But ultimately the format of the story is what breaks it. There's so many characters and viewpoints that it's impossible to properly spend enough time on all of them in a 24 episode timeframe while also appealing to the base. Could things have been done better? Certainly. But I don't think it's so bad that I have to hate it with all my heart.