I think I prefer original Kaede, since by starting out as a rival and then falling for Riri makes for a more interesting dynamic (shame she wont ever win, rival romances are my jam). I liked the anime. It was rather quaint even though it tried to tackle some heavy-ish topics like the trauma of losing a loved one. I actually prepared myself for an edge-fest because of that but I'm happy it went more lighthearted in the end.
Manga's art is really nice here so if anything I'm following it just for that