Princess Mononoke was, according to various sources, the film that made Miyazaki famous in the west, and led to the American release of some of his other films. However, Miyazaki has been in the business since the mid-1960s. Why do you think this was the film that was used as his ticket to the west, and what made it resonate? (I’m especially interested in hearing from the Miyazaki fans among us.) Why this particular anime and not another?
How would you compare the way religion is treated in Princess Mononoke, or other anime you’ve seen, compared to how it’s depicted in Western pop culture? What’s different and what’s the same?