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"{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," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from evil forces, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

These were all aspects of her early life that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I despised many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

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

When it launched on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when in her youth.

Cho says many Korean-Americans have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"In my view Korean pop music 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, now," Cho says.

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

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of mass deportation efforts, which sparked protests in many states.

As an person of Asian descent living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the world and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

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

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for some hope and something to unite us as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho says she is aware that technology is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have some respect and desire for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are calling for a sequel.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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