Hobojoey: it's too generic looking. Changing tone and then adding scan lines and a border. I'm not a huge fan of scan lines either for future submissions.
I kinda like the second one due to it being more colorful and brighter. I also like the cherry blossom petal look ^_^
however, it's very flat and it's also not square.
It would also be nice if the avatar focused onthe head a bit more
I'd want it to be a bit better quality than my current avatar. I made the base image, but the 3D effect was added on for free.
If I am able to sell some stuff, I'll definitely be raising the prize substantially for truly outstanding ones!