#now and then I'll come across a rare first person story (sans diary) that really hits though

[see-arcane]

I agree with the the third person chosen. And I've been bored of the retellings that are epistolary for no reason (and most are like "Here is Mina's REAL journal, finally we can read the story from HER perspective and how she wants a different man than Jonathan".) or first person purely to say that the original authors completely lied about everything. Third person limited (or omniscient) is such an opportunity to play with a first-person-limited source material in order to explore outside their thoughts and writing.

110% this ^^^

The kind of stories that break their own back trying to contort canon into a pretzel knot of 'no wait the characters were all randomly lying to their diaries for no reason and they REALLY did/thought THIS FOR REAL HONEST!!1!' are so nauseating, especially when inflicted in first person

Third person is a far vaster playground with way more toys to play with (even if I choose to play mainly with the toys and implications that canon left laying around in the sand)