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This exclusive piece delves into extraordinary interviews and stories from around the globe.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," says Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's highly successful animated film, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, recalls her early years in the southern state, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the movie, which tells the story of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from dark powers, Rumi has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she explains.

These were all aspects of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

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

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

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the type that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "such a refreshing moment", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the film's success was uncertain and Cho says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like a gamble," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The film was released against the backdrop of 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 deeply saddening," she states. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, Cho 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 of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the world and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Due to this, it's particularly meaningful, she notes, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and a unifying element as one."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to produce a film like the animation.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure they're going to have AI actors and vocalists. I know they already exist. I know performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope the public have some respect and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan creations, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

She 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 produced the movie, to give it the green light.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think everyone in the world would protest if there wasn't."

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