L's not supposed to be cute? Hmm. Maybe we're making the word "cute" do too much work here.

If characters are cute = really young, simplified design, big-eyed, then they tend not to appeal to me as much, partly because I read them as being too young for *me*, and I'm vaguely discomfited by thoughts of cradle-robbing.

Older, quirkier (even disfigured) characters, are easier for me to keep sorted out in my mind, and the age/quirks/disfigurements hint at rich backstory.