also you might have found this too but just in case if this helps :P (for the changing enemy sprites)
https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/enemy-damaged-sprites.116443/
On the same link one of the comments had a super interesting idea, to somewhat animate the front view battlers by changing their image. Basically if the enemy attacks, it changes to a attacking stance, and returns back to normal after the attack is executed, posted by quackenbirdt, and the poster made a plugin for that too if you'd be interested!