Unfortunately that's not quite how 3/4 perspective works. It looks like the sprite's facing us, which I'm pretty sure is why Seiseki is confused. RPG sprites (that's the genre you're thinking of) are a good point of reference. The clothes are low in contrast as well, especially the shirt. Light-source is also confusing; the lighting conditions suggest day (perhaps in overcast/cloudy weather) when the sun's more above, but the light seems to be coming directly from the side. The closest, common situation to result in this, I think, would be sunset or an artificial light.
I'll elaborate/make an edit soon. This is a small sprite, so it shouldn't take long.