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This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and narratives from around the globe.

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

Cho, 40, recalls her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

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

These elements were aspects of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

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

"During childhood, what you see shapes who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and cultural roots.

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

But the film's success was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to say this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The film was released against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, she came to realise that the racism she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in the modern era, when I feel like the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she says.

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

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

The actress says she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

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

She reveals she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the production company, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

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