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"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings influences who you become and it seems I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it kind of sucks to say this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was released amid heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, she came to realise that the racism she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in the modern era, when I feel like the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the streaming service or the production company, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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