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This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and narratives from worldwide.

"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, 40, is describing her early years in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her true nature as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like I'm not, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were components of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes who you become and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She says many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first time of their dual heritage and culture.

"In my view Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence 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, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress says she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she says.

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

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, Cho understood that the racism she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I know they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

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

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the production company, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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