The thing is - the people who liked Gerbera before liked her FOR her creepy smile, not DESPITE it.
So those who pushed the change in artwork, will still not like nor use her, regardless because they already did not like her before.
Whereas people who liked her before will now lament on how drastcially they changed her art.
Is it cute ? Yes it is, no doubt about that. But there is PLENTY of other girls with that very same type of art and charm to them. Thats what made Gerbera nice in her own right, was that she was different from all those "cutesy sugary doll like chan chans" (ugh...).
She now lost her uniqueness and being the same as everyone else will swiftly blend into the mesh of other similarly looking girls.

Being mainstream is not always the best option...