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"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals Arden Cho, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

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

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These were all components of her early life that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes your development and I feel like I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film 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.

Cho says many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and Cho admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet everyone working on the film in person, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho came to realise that the racism she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

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

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for some hope and something to unite us as one."

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

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

She reveals she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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