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"{I hated that I had Asian features, that I didn't have light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says Arden Cho, who portrayed Rumi in the streaming platform's chart-topping animated film, the K-pop themed animation.

The performer, forty, recalls her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, Rumi has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first saw the screenplay, this resonated powerfully.

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

These were all components of her formative years that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"I can honestly say, at various stages in my life, I despised a lot of myself and I wanted to be a different person.

"As kids, what you see shapes who you become and it seems I just didn't see enough people that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just two weeks, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To be part of the pioneering animation set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a powerful role model for young Asian-Americans, the type that she lacked when she was young.

She notes 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.

"In my view K-Pop really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like this movie is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, currently," Cho says.

But the movie's triumph 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 any time there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like a gamble," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to meet the entire cast and crew in person, she adds.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests 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 those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an adult, she understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger was largely due to a lack of education, as many were unaware what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in this day and age, when it seems the world and individuals ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times I feel like we feel so hopeless," she says.

Because of this, it's particularly meaningful, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Maybe that's why it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us all together."

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a major concern for the film industry, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

Cho says she is aware that technology is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but aims to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be digital performers and singers. I'm aware they're already here. I know our voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have appreciation and want and love for something real."

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 calling for a follow-up.

Cho reveals 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 made the film, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she says. "Only time will tell, and I think fans everywhere would riot if it didn't happen."

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