I don't think calling someone a relic ever has a good meaning. 'Legend' would be nicer. Relic sounds like something/someone's who's still active way past their expiration date.
Inertia,
Let's go with Legend! LOL! I think that is a more fitting description of her success than relic, which DOES have more of a negative connotation.
One thing that I've found to be true in the porn industry, and JAV has not proven to be an exception to, is that the longer the female stars remain in the industry, the harder and more extreme roles they tend to play. My fave, Yu/Yuu is no exception.
I've seen her in more and more BDSM and extreme movies, i.e. Scat (simulated or not), water sports, heavy punishment, etc. While her talent and good looks, in my opinion, has served her well in them, they pull her out of that "good place" that my mind placed her in based on her earlier works that won me over. If history of other porn stars are any example, especially western starts, they usher the stars down a road a rapid aging and increased wear and tear. I've even seen her in a couple of movies (probably more) where she's sporting a bruise or other skin damage.
And not to return to a long-dead thread about Japanese censorship, I suspect that the reason we even notice these blemishes and imperfections is because we can't see that which we MOST long to see in these films! LOL!
Enjoy!
X-Man