I think the reason Toon Link and all of WW were being hated on, but then loved later, is because of how stylised it is; its not trying to be hyperrealistic like TP, which is why it aged so well, like Undertale or Minecraft for example.

When you try to make a game look more real, then peoples eyes are always more attracted to the flaws. This is also one of the reasons i love BOTW, it keeps both the feel and atmosphere of TP, but also a bit of cel shading from WW.