I had the exact same experience with Mononoke Hime. It piqued my interest in the rest of the world as a kid. I started importing a lot of media globally after that, and made some life-long friends at various record and comic book stores around the world, who to this day still help me get my grubby little mitts on physical-only releases.

People may also forget that Netflix and similar offered DVD rentals and purchases via mail prior to streaming. That's not to be underestimated in how important it was to a significant demographic, being able to access culture they otherwise would not have been able to due to cost or scarcity.

It's a good time for cultural accessibility.