I like the head, for sure, but I haven't decided about the torso yet. I think I may make it a bit thinner, but I haven't yet decided. Other than that, I kinda like what I have so far. This is a sample sprite that I colored, but it kinda sucks;
My biggest problem with the sprites are that I don't quite understand how to make the top-down perspective look right. Of course, it's not directly down, but more at a ~45 degree angle from the ground, otherwise you'd just see the top of the head. But shading/creating the sprites in a way that gives the illusion of a ~45 degree angle is something i'm not experienced with. the only thing I can think of to do it more shading at the bottom than the top, but i'm not sure if that's going to work, either. I don't know, I'll give it another shot tomorrow.
If it looks better, there's nothing wrong with front-view sprites and 45-degree background objects in a 90-degree topdown view. Totally unrealistic but characters look better and they can't walk "behind" objects.
I like "oblique topdown" view. It always looks "wrong" but so does isometric. That's ok; people who play non-3D games obviously don't care about realism if they like the gameplay. :D If it looks better, there's nothing wrong with front-view sprites and 45-degree background objects in a 90-degree topdown view. Totally unrealistic but characters look better and they can't walk "behind" objects.
I'm seriously considering that for my next game, if I make a CRPG. Probably 20-30 degrees above front view, for both sprites and background.