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

"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

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

In the movie, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like I'm not, grappling with my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

These elements were aspects of her formative years that mirrored the character's path.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I despised a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

"During childhood, 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 June, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when in her youth.

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

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho admits she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

The film was released against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, 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 the modern era, when I feel like the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

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

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

The actress says she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have some respect and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

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

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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