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This exclusive piece delves into remarkable conversations and narratives from around the globe.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, 40, recalls her early years in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Growing up in the US, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

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

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I hated many parts of me and I wanted to be a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first time of their dual heritage 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, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho says she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say 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 connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

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

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

Korean news sources 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 deported.

As an grown-up, she came to realise that the racism she had experienced when in her youth stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times 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".

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

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I know our voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have appreciation and want and love for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its soundtrack featured on the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are calling for a sequel.

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

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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