If I could sum Okami up in one phrase it would be: "overstays its welcome." This is a game that could really use some modernization. I don't think the game is inherently bad, because I see all the pieces of a great Zeldalike game here. It just doesn't come together very well at all. The artstyle and soundtrack are about the only thing this game has going for it. The Celestial Brush is a cool idea, and there were times where I thought it was a fun mechanic, but it quickly got old.
Also there is way. Too. Much. Fucking. Dialogue in this game. This game would probably be better with like 90% less dialogue. The writing has a bit of charm to it from time to time but most NPC interactions are so tedious. I don't think I need to elaborate on Issun either, but I think most of my frustrations stem from that character's existence.
Combat is also pretty boring as you can faceroll most enemies in the game by just spamming the Rosaries.
I really wanted to like this game, as I've heard it's a good game from many people, but I am just not motivated to continue playing. It might not help that there are loads of other high profile games releasing this year that make playing an already dated game more difficult.
I think this game as a concept; its setting, characters, and story, would absolutely clean house in today's Indie scene if it were modernized. However, Okami in its current form is more of a chore than a game.

I could barely finish this game. Performance is really bad, people aren't exaggerating. This is probably one of the buggiest games I've played since Skyrim. Beyond that, the open world and story of the game just isn't very fun. It feels like a very lifeless map with items and trainers just tossed onto it haphazardly. The scale is weird, the textures look awful, storming villain bases is a painful chore, hunting Titans and battling gyms offered no challenge. There are some pretty good Pokemon designs in this generation though to be fair. Unfortunately, I think this will be the last new Pokemon game I play unless there are drastic improvements to the series.

"'It's peak,' as they say" - Aigis, probably.
This might sound cheesy, but every time I play a new Persona game I feel like I learn something new about myself. This time around we tackle themes of death, nihilism, the impermanence of everything, and what it means to truly live. Nothing lasts forever, people die and they're gone for good, this is absolute.
I'm at the point in my life now where loved ones dying is starting to become more of a common thing. As goofy as it sounds, stories like P3 help you recenter and contemplate on this concept.
Philosophy aside, the game is pretty solid. I'm a bit torn on how I feel about their faithfulness to the originals, but I think ultimately they made great choices to improve the QoL and overall experience of the game. I say this as someone who never played any original version of P3, but am familiar with that era of Persona via playing P4G. If anything I wish they had been maybe a little less faithful and tried something new.
It's hard for me to say, but I think P3 has my favorite cast....? Regardless, it's very close to P4 in that area. Interacting with Koromaru is definitely more enjoyable than interacting with Teddy or Morgana at least. The other party members also feel more grounded and mature. I'll also cautiously say that I think P3 has some of the best music out of any Persona game overall, especially when it comes to battle music. Sorry P5 fans, the jazz is great and all but I prefer Mass Destruction and It's Going Down Now. Colour Your Night absolutely slaps, Changing Seasons slaps, When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars is bubbly and upbeat to contrast the melancholy and nihilism. And when the music and tone shift in the last month... that whole month was a gut punch.
Pacing at the beginning of the game is a little strange, but in hindsight I understand why it has to be that way for story purposes. I liked the way P4 handled broaching the main subject of the story with all of the mystique surrounding Personas and the world inside of the TV. P3 felt a little weird in contrast because you move to a new school and suddenly everyone's like, "Sup? we fight Shadows in Tartarus during the Dark Hour with our Personas. You start Monday, welcome to the team." It made the first couple areas of Tartarus feel much less impactful than the dungeons and palaces in other Persona games which were obviously specifically tailored around the relevant character.
Even knowing how the game would end, it still wrecked me. Memories of You hits really hard, it's the kind of shit that makes you want to call your mom or some close friends.
Now do this, but with P4G.