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This feature delves into extraordinary interviews and stories from around the globe.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, 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 saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when she was young.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride 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 Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress admits she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it's unfortunate to say this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like a gamble," 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 film was released amid increased immigration raids in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing 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".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like the season's hit film, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho says she is aware that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

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

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are calling for a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the production company, which produced the movie, 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 think everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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