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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, forty, is describing her early years in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she explains.

These were all components 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.

"As kids, what you see influences who you become and I feel like I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

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

"It seems it's unfortunate to say this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The movie was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Reports 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 grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

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

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are demanding a follow-up.

She reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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