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

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

Cho, 40, is describing her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to come to terms with her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, 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 Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences your development and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and culture.

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty 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," she comments.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and Cho 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 accepted the part, 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 numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," 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 removed.

As an adult, Cho came to realise that the racism she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a lack of education, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

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

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

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

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

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have some respect and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are calling for a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – 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, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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