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This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and narratives from worldwide.

"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have blue eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, is describing her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the movie, 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 she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes your development and I feel like I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and Cho admits she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

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

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

The film was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Immigrants 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 prejudice she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

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

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

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and something to unite us all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have some respect and want and love for authentic creations."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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