Sorry to double post, but who else is playing/has played Okami? I've gotten a bit deeper since last post, and this game is hot. There's a few things I haven't warmed up to yet (combat, structure of overworld) but there's very little to dislike entirely.
Since the game has mostly different goals than a Zelda game (fewer dungeons, more people/talking, RPG-ish story, tons and tons of stuff to collect/do) I actually don't think the comparison between the two is accurate. Overall, I think this does a good job of remixing the Zelda system to match the story and themes, and the gameplay manages to flesh out the Japanese mythology - that is to say, the story isn't tacked onto a Zelda game.
I particularly enjoy how Amaterasu's status as a God makes her responsible for nature, animals, and the well-being of people. Where Link does it out of the goodness of his heart (and the desire for rewards, I guess), Amaterasu is compelled by her being. I don't really require the crap I'm rewarded with - in fact, I'm a bit encumbered by all the stuff I have! I feel like money, health, ink, etc are all plentiful and I'm more concerned with beautifying the world for its own sake, rather than mine. I'm pretty much becoming totally selfless thanks to this game. Thanks Okami!