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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," says Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

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

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

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

"During childhood, what you see influences your development and I feel like I lacked exposure to enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also made her 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 proud for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I feel like this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," Cho says.

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

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

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

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

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes it appears there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern 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 performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers globally are demanding a sequel.

She reveals she would like to confirm the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the production company, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would riot if it didn't happen."

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