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"{I disliked that I looked Asian, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, 40, is describing her early years in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – 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 sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

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

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

"During childhood, your surroundings shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that she lacked when in her youth.

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

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. 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, now," Cho says.

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

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she says.

The movie was launched amid 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. "Immigrants have made America what it is."

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

As an grown-up, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the world and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

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

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

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to make a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho says she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and singers. I know they're already here. I know our voices are already being altered, but I trust people have some respect and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are calling for a follow-up.

She tells us she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, the feedback is positive," she says. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would protest if there wasn't."

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