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This exclusive piece explores extraordinary interviews and narratives from around the globe.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

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

In the film, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho 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, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a woman," she explains.

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

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I despised a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, what you see influences who you become and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in June, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and culture.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact 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 movie's triumph was not guaranteed and Cho admits she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

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

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

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have estimated that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be removed.

As an adult, she came to realise that the racism she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when I feel like the society and individuals should know better, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Because of this, it feels very special, she notes, that the film could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

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

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be digital performers and singers. I know they already exist. I know our voices are already being altered, but I trust the public have some respect and desire for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the prestigious charts. It has its own fan art, and viewers globally are calling for a follow-up.

She reveals she wishes she could answer the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I'm aware rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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