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This feature delves into extraordinary interviews and narratives from around the globe.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, 40, recalls her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from dark powers, Rumi has to come to terms with her identity as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like I'm not, trying to figure out my identity as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a female," she says.

These were all components of her early life that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my existence, I despised many parts of me and I wanted to be a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings shapes who you become and it seems I lacked exposure to enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, KPop Demon Hunters registered millions of streams in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that was missing when she was young.

Cho notes many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and Cho says she felt the production crew were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like 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 connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

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

As an Asian-American residing in America "it's deeply saddening," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

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

As an adult, she came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the society and people should know better, it's deeply disheartening and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she notes, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it became the season's hit film, because we just needed some hope and a unifying element all together."

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 film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress says she is aware that technology is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust people have appreciation and desire for something real."

The film has also been leading the global music charts, with multiple songs from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are demanding a follow-up.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to wait for the streaming service or the production company, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if it didn't happen."

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