It does look strange how they look at the camera. I think I take a picture mid-way through their turn toward or away from the camera sometimes. Also, I know it's part of Animal Crossing's style, but it would've been nice if there was a way to make characters look forward instead of to their left constantly. Their iris-pupils can move, so why is there not a graphic for them looking straight ahead? (Only a couple eyes do that, the rest are like my profile picture.)
There was a joke in Mario kart 8 (before they had irises) when they did this, it looked like the villager girl was going to kill someone when they did the look back (or the stink eye basically)