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This exclusive piece explores remarkable conversations and stories from around the globe.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, 40, recalls her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her true nature as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she explains.

These elements were aspects of her formative years that paralleled Rumi's journey.

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

"As kids, what you see shapes who you become and I feel like I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it launched on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in 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 young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

She notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"In my view Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and the actress says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, people feel like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was launched amid heightened enforcement actions in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, she understood that the racism she had encountered when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, 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 I feel like there's a sense of despair," she says.

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

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a film like the animation.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have digital performers and vocalists. I know they're already here. I know performers' voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the production company, which made the film, to give it the green light.

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

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