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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 at the time," says Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

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

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her true nature as a hybrid being – 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 I'm not, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These elements were components of her early life that paralleled the character's path.

"Truthfully, at different points in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, what you see shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that she lacked when she was young.

She notes many Korean-Americans have told her 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 has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho says she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The movie was released against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in many states.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Reports have estimated 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, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

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

Because of this, it feels very special, she says, that the film 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 positivity and something to unite us all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in future it could be used to produce a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

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

"Certainly, 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 hope the public have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and viewers globally are demanding a sequel.

Cho tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to wait for the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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