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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in Netflix's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when Cho first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having others view me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she explains.

These elements were components of her early life that mirrored the character's path.

"I can honestly say, at different points in my existence, I hated many parts of me and I wanted to be someone else.

"During childhood, what you see shapes your development and it seems I just didn't see enough people that shared my appearance."

When it debuted on the platform in June, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in dozens of nations. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

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

"I feel like K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, inspiring travel to Korea, now," she comments.

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

"I feel like it's unfortunate to mention this, but whenever there's an Asian-led project, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she says.

The film was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in many states.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have shaped the nation."

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

As an grown-up, Cho came to realise that the prejudice she had encountered when in her youth stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the society and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and sometimes I feel like there's a sense of despair," she expresses.

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

"Maybe that's why it's sort of like the season's hit film, because we just needed positivity and a unifying element all together."

The growth of AI is a major concern for the film industry, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a movie like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is aware that technology is already being used to replicate performers' vocals, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that audiences will still seek out human-made creativity.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I know they're already here. I know our voices are already being manipulated, but I hope the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are calling for a follow-up.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of whether that will happen – but both everyone involved will have to await the platform or the production company, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if there wasn't."

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