🔗 Share this article

This feature explores extraordinary interviews and stories from around the globe.

"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I lacked light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's highly successful movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho, 40, recalls her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her true nature as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my identity as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I hated a lot of myself and I wanted to be someone else.

"As kids, what you see influences who you become and I feel like I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that shared my appearance."

When it launched on Netflix in June, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when she was young.

She notes many individuals of Korean descent have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them proud for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on Korea being loved. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and the actress says she felt the team making it were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like a gamble," she reveals.

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

The movie was released amid heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which triggered demonstrations in many states.

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

Korean news sources have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

"But now, in this day and age, when it seems the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like 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".

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element as one."

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

The actress 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 human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe 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 trust people have appreciation and want and love for authentic creations."

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 art, and viewers around the world are calling for a follow-up.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to await the platform or the studio, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

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

• Initiating discussions, fostering relationships and combating false narratives through articles, in-depth reports, conversations and extraordinary stories