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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," says Arden Cho, who portrayed the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, 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 save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

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

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised many parts of me and I wanted to be a different person.

"As kids, what you see influences who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho says many Korean-Americans 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 tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

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

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film in person, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, she understood that the prejudice she had encountered when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she says.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters 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 positivity and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Sure, I believe they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters 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 around the world are calling for a sequel.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the question of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the production company, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

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