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This exclusive piece delves into remarkable conversations and narratives from around the globe.

"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and blonde hair, because those were the beauty standards back then," says Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi in Netflix's highly successful movie, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, forty, is describing her early years in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the movie, which tells the story of a girl group who must rescue humanity from dark powers, the protagonist has to accept her identity as a hybrid being – and when Cho first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, identifying as American but having people treat me like a foreigner, grappling with my sense of self as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she explains.

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

"Truthfully, at different points in my existence, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"As kids, your surroundings influences your development and it seems I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature registered 33 million views in just 14 days, and secured the top 10 of the streaming rankings in 93 countries. To be part of the pioneering animation with a Korean setting, with Korean leads, was for Cho "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when in her youth.

Cho says many Korean-Americans have told her it's "such a refreshing moment", making them proud for the first instance of their mixed background and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music 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, currently," Cho says.

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

"I feel like it kind of sucks to say this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, it's perceived like it's a risk," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she took steps to connect with the entire cast and crew face-to-face, she adds.

The movie was released amid increased immigration raids in the US as part of extensive removal policies, 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 deported.

As an grown-up, she understood that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger was largely due to a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it meant 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 says, that the film could bring "hope and joy and love to various groups".

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, 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, creating the potential that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is aware that AI is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe they're going to have AI actors and singers. I know they're already here. I know our voices are already being manipulated, but I trust the public have some respect and want and love for something real."

The film has also been dominating the global music charts, 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 sequel.

She tells us she would like to confirm the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to await the streaming service or the studio, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know there's lots of murmurs, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would protest if it didn't happen."

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