🔗 Share this article

This exclusive piece delves into remarkable conversations and stories from worldwide.

"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I didn't have blue eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi in the streaming platform's highly successful movie, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, 40, recalls her childhood in the southern state, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her journey toward belonging in the United States.

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

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These were all components of her formative years that paralleled the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become a different person.

"As kids, your surroundings influences your development and it seems I lacked exposure to sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also established her as a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that was missing when in her youth.

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

"In my view K-Pop has genuinely broken barriers. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I feel like this movie is the one that pushed it further, of, inspiring travel to Korea, currently," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was uncertain and Cho admits she felt the production crew were "sometimes facing an uphill battle".

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

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The film was released amid increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, which triggered demonstrations in numerous regions.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's deeply saddening," she states. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Korean news sources have suggested that up to 150,000 individuals from Korea without proper documentation, 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 stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as many were unaware what it signified to be Korean or Asian.

"However today, in this day and age, when I feel like the world 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 feels very special, she says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like the season's hit film, because we just needed some hope and something to unite us all together."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

The actress says she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still pursue art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be digital performers and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I trust people have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and audiences globally are demanding a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of if a sequel is planned – but both everyone involved will have to await the streaming service or the production company, which produced the movie, to give it the green light.

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

• Starting conversations, fostering relationships and challenging misinformation through features, investigations, conversations and remarkable accounts