Looking for answers and advise

I'm doing my best to improve everywhere I can art wise. That includes cleaning and refining designs for a pet project of mine that's resuming soon. And I may have come to a cross road.

Looking for answers to questions that I've been searching for regarding anthro characters. And rather or not it's a hill worth dying on.

Ultimately it could just be that I need better exposer And should just go on with the webcomic anyway, but either way I'll find out very soon.

1. Which version of "Valerie Gust" is better and why?
2. How do you feel about anthro characters in media (games, Anime, Comics,ect)?
3. Do they harm the story, help it, or does it simply not bother you?
4. Are Anthro Characters commercially viable?