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This exclusive piece delves into extraordinary interviews and stories from around the globe.

"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I lacked blue eyes and fair 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, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

These elements were aspects of her formative years that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in June, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when in her youth.

She says many Korean-Americans have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

The movie was released amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests 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."

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

As an adult, Cho understood that the racism she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people should know better, it is beyond disappointing and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she says.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

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

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

Cho 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 pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and viewers globally are demanding a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I believe everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

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