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"{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 portrayed Rumi in Netflix's highly successful animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, 40, recalls her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child 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 save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her formative years that mirrored the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when in her youth.

She notes many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first time of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"I feel like K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the film's success was uncertain and the actress says she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

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

The film was launched amid heightened enforcement actions 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 deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Reports have estimated that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho understood that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because we just needed some hope and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI 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 aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and vocalists. I know they already exist. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are calling for a follow-up.

Cho reveals she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I think everyone in the world would protest if there wasn't."

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