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I'd like to preface this review in saying that it took MONTHS for me to finish this anime.
I liked the characters and the overall story, but after several episodes the anime got stale for me. The only way I was able to finish this show was to watch it while working. It all gets repetitive after awhile, even if the quality is decent enough for the watch.
If you want to watch something good that'll keep you interested all throughout, this isn't that show. If you need something to listen to the background or watch from the corner of your eye, then this show ... will suffice.

If you're tired of the "4 cute girls does this in a club" troupes but still want a relaxing but interesting Slice of Life show. This anime will do the trick.
Each episode revolves around the main character learning something about Rakugo or figuring out how to overcome simple life challenges, it's endearing but not the deepest show around the block. The art style is cute, the animation is well done, the music is great, and the atmosphere is perfect after a long week of work. Obvious like most westerners I don't know anything about Rakugo except it's some form of storytelling, but in addition of ... a nice show, after the credits the show takes some time to explain the stories for those whom want to know.
It's not a masterpiece, it's not complicated, but it is a good time for those looking for one.

I don't think this show has gotten the credit it deserves nor the attention. Currently the rating is 5.58 as i'm writing this and I doubt that will change much.

Story:
The concept of Aguu is a bit weird and isn't explained well in the first few episodes, but the concept catches on quite quickly. Other reviews already explain it so I won't touch on it, however, the actually story itself has pretty solid writing and an interesting view on the subject of people wanting talent and what they will do for it.

Art:
This is the elephant in the room. On first glance you can instantly tell that ... the art isn't detailed, the backdrops are simple and somewhat stylized. A lot of people might have issue with this, but personality I think this is way better than some other shows which try to have detail background but just fails on it. Beyond this, the art is pretty average.

Characters:
This is the area where the anime shines, because the plot is more character driven then anything. The two main leads are written as best friends who genuinely care for each other and their relationship organically builds, they are written as actual humans. The other characters aren't as fleshed out, but they all have a moments of reflection, goal, and/or reasons to who they are and why they are like this. The only two characters who aren't fleshed out are one-off villains who are quirky enough to keep the audience attention.

Overall:
I would give it a solid 7. It's not the best show and it's not for everyone, but the show isn't so bad that it should be rated this low. If you're looking into sassy show with a darker premise. Then give it a shot.

So all the reviews (at the time) haven't seen the original Kino's journey, I haven't either until yesterday and I can completely say if you like the 2017 version and can tolerate a bit of old animation, the 2003 adaptation is worth the watch.
In this review I want to compare the two, hoping to better describe the show.

Story
Both versions are episodic, revolving around Kino, the most bad-ass flat chested girl I ever seen and her motorcycle. Each episode is suppose to be thought provoking with "what if's" and highlight the faults of humans. There's lot a lot of action and the pacing can feel a ... bit slow at times, but the shocking stories make up for it at the end.

Art
The art is nicely made for the show making the world feel vast and both beautiful despite the chaos around it. The animation is well done as well, although the obvious CGI moments can throw someone off, but we can ignore that right?
Compared to the 2003, the art and animation is obviously going to be worse due to time gap, but dispute that it excels far better in a composition of a shot; making every frame count with little details.
Both are great at setting up the atmosphere and the tone of every episode, although the new version does a lot of telling than showing while the old version creates a more human feel without unnecessarily making Kino a talk bot.

Sound
2017 version excels in almost every way in terms of music and background noises, although personal preference, I enjoy the 2003 Opening better

Characters
Kino's new design is completely gorgeous and well fitting as she's portrayed slightly more sarcastic and cold hearted in the new version, many of the supported characters are well done as well giving off their personalities at a moment's glance. Due to this show being heavily human based, most of the emotional scenes are human interacts, but because of the heavier tell and less shoe aspects of the newer version each episode doesn't have enough time to flesh out each character or define a real motive other than "just because." Thankfully, this doesn't hinder the story too much as well can still experience every situation thrown at Kino with surprise.
Other the other hand, I believe the 2003 version does a better job fleshing out it's characters, although Kino's personality is a bit stale the vibrant cast of side characters are more than enough to balance it all out, highlighting their personalities and motives without needing to say what their personalities are. Kino, although still being a bit cold, is shown to have a better understanding and passion towards the world making it heartwarming when things turn out alright at he end.

In conclusion, both are great shows and the ideals questioned will never be outdated. Both have aspects that make them standout despite having similar atmospheres and it seems like where one version falls the other excels.