Maybe "erased" is the wrong term because it is dramatic, but because the shading has gotten so much softer, for some people that means they see things about their character that just doesn't look like them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Like I said your character looks great, but with OP they feel their character's changed too much and we just can't quantify that. So agreeing to disagree is where we'll probably end.
I just prefer the more animated style than the realism because it lacks the character that it had before. It's interesting that the eyes are in the same place because the new lighting makes it look so much wider somehow, and really shows that the new lighting has its pros and its cons.
