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"{I disliked that I had Asian features, that I lacked blue eyes and fair hair, because those were the beauty standards at the time," says Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's highly successful movie, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, 40, recalls her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first saw the screenplay, this struck a deep chord.

"Growing up in the US, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Asian-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 a different person.

"During childhood, your surroundings influences who you become and it seems I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just two weeks, and secured the highest positions of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho notes many Korean-Americans have expressed it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first time of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on Korea being loved. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

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

"I feel like it's unfortunate to say this, but any time there's an Asian-led project, it's perceived like a gamble," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she took steps to meet the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of increased immigration raids in the United States as part of mass deportation efforts, 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."

Reports have estimated that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including adopted children, are among those who could be removed.

As an grown-up, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when in her youth was largely due to a knowledge gap, as many were unaware what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the society and people ought to be more informed, it's deeply disheartening and at times it appears we feel so hopeless," she says.

Because of this, it feels very special, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it's sort of like this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and something to unite us as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in coming years 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 actors' voices, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still pursue art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they're already here. I understand performers' voices are already being altered, but I hope people have appreciation and desire for authentic creations."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its soundtrack appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are demanding a sequel.

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

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she says. "So we shall see, and I think fans everywhere would protest if there wasn't."

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