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"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 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 American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, what you see shapes who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress admits she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

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

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

"However today, in the modern era, when I feel like the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like the season's hit film, because we just needed some hope and something to unite us all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the production company, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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