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"{I hated 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 voiced 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 parents who emigrated from Korea and her struggle for acceptance in the United States.

In the movie, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having others view me like I'm not, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Korean-American, as a woman," she says.

These elements were components of her formative years that paralleled Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated a lot of myself and I longed to become a different person.

"During childhood, what you see influences your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it debuted on the platform in the summer, the animated feature achieved 33 million views in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts in 93 countries. To star in the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Asian protagonists, was for Cho "an aspiration realized" – but it has also established her as a inspiring figure for Asian-American children, the kind that was missing when she was young.

She says many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their mixed background and cultural roots.

"In my view Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had such a big impact on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that tipped it over the edge, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," Cho says.

But the film's success was not guaranteed and Cho says she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"I feel like it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she says.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was launched 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 heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

Reports 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 grown-up, Cho came to realise that the racism she had encountered when she was younger 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 I feel like the society and people ought to be more informed, it is beyond disappointing and at times it appears we feel so hopeless," she expresses.

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

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

The advancement of artificial intelligence is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to produce a film like the animation.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that AI is already being used to copy performers' vocals, but aims to "have hope in humanity" that audiences will still pursue human-made creativity.

"Sure, I'm sure there will be AI actors and singers. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being altered, but I trust people have some respect and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the international music rankings, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences around the world are demanding a sequel.

She tells us she would like to confirm the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the platform or the production company, which produced the movie, to approve the project.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe everyone in the world would riot if there wasn't."

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