I feel like I owe an apology to rtcvb32 for my rant and derailing of the thread -- it was not intended, I was just having issues with the game (easily solved, if you do some basic googling), and thought I could share them in here.
As for the opening post, all I can say is that it's very informative and should definitely help newcomers to the game -- or the series, as I hope you'll keep it up-to-date as soon as you finish the other titles -- have some basic, descriptive notion of what they'll find.
Origin truly is a very good game, personally I enjoy the 3D graphics with 2D sprites, the polish Nihon Falcom has in their games is undeniable, and if you enjoyed Ys Origin, Ys: The Oath in Felghana or Ys I and II Chronicles+, chances are you'll enjoy
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (if only for the art direction and sound design, as it plays more like your traditional JRPG, being turn-based, and all that).
I don't mean to take any merit out of the original post, it's still where you can find the best impressions in this thread, but let me just add I enjoyed playing as Hugo more than I did enjoy doing so as Yunica. I find her to be seriously underpowered compared to Hugo and Toal, and playing as her requires more grinding than I would have hoped for; also, boss fights felt harder and took me longer with her than with any of the other two characters. Attacking from a distance with Hugo always felt better for me, and as soon as I got the double jump ability I could easily kite enemies around and avoid their frontal assaults and charges really easily. Toal also felt like an upgrade to Yunica, in the sense it was more like playing with Adol from the previous 2.5D Ys games: you're faster, less sluggish and enemies tend to be stunned for a brief moment when you're attacking them, eliminating the need to attack and back away every two strikes you have with Yunica. Her storyline was also the least appealing, to me.
This is just a matter of opinion, though; I think it's one of the main strengths of Origin: you have three different characters to choose from, and if you don't particularly like one of them (be it because of game play or story reasons), you can always start a new game with one you'll enjoy more.
As has been said time and time before, the sound design in the Ys games is usually excellent. I don't share the hardcore undying love for game soundtracks as most gamers do, the "epic" soundtracks of your run-of-the-mill RPGs always felt boring to me, and I was never a big fan of chiptune and 8- or 16-bit soundtracks, so, if the sound design in the Ys games is something I find noteworthy, you can take it from me that you'll enjoy it. Ranging from the more rock-y, energetic tracks to the more jazzy tunes of some levels, to the beautifully orchestrated Zelda-like compositions you hear from time to time -- especially during cutscenes --, Origin has a memorable soundtrack and when people praise it you can bet they're right to do so.
If you're on the fence regarding Ys Origin, I'm sure this thread will sway your opinion in favor of the game. Be advised, though: if you dislike heavy action or manga/anime stuff, then probably the Ys series is not your cup of tea.