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This exclusive piece delves into extraordinary interviews and narratives from worldwide.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and blonde 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 Texas, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were components of her early life that mirrored the character's path.

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I despised a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

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

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their mixed background 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 the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

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

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with everyone working on the film in person, she adds.

The movie was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

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

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, she came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and something to unite us all together."

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

The actress says she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust people have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a sequel.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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