KPop Demon Hunters Star Shares The Ways Her Personal Path Mirrored Main Character's Experience

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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful back then," reveals Arden Cho, who portrayed the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, KPop Demon Hunters.

The performer, forty, is describing her childhood in Texas, as the firstborn child of Korean immigrant parents 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 dark powers, Rumi has to accept her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this struck a deep chord.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having people treat me like a foreigner, trying to figure out my sense of self as an Korean-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she explains.

These elements were aspects of her formative years that mirrored the character's path.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated many parts of me and I wanted to be someone else.

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

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, the animated feature achieved millions of streams in just two weeks, and reached the highest positions of the Netflix charts 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 established her as a powerful role model for Asian-American children, the kind that she lacked when she was young.

She says many Korean-Americans have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their dual heritage and culture.

"I feel like Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. K-beauty has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I believe the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

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

"It seems it's unfortunate to mention this, but whenever there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like a gamble," she reveals.

So, when she took on the role, she made an effort to meet everyone working on the film face-to-face, she adds.

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 numerous regions.

As an Asian-American living in the US "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Newcomers have made America what it is."

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

As an adult, she understood that the prejudice she had encountered when she was younger stemmed mainly from a knowledge gap, as people didn't know what it signified to be of Asian descent.

"But now, in the modern era, 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 expresses.

Due to this, it feels very special, she says, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "hope and joy and love to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became the season's hit film, because there was a need for positivity and something to unite us all together."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the film industry, raising the possibility that in coming years it could be used to make a movie like the animation.

The actress acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to copy actors' voices, but wants to "have hope in humanity" that individuals will still seek out human-made creativity.

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

The film has also been leading the international music rankings, with multiple songs from its score featured on the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan creations, and audiences globally are demanding a follow-up.

She tells us she wishes she could answer the inquiry of whether that will happen – but both she and fans will have to wait for the platform or the studio, which made the film, to approve the project.

"I'm aware there's lots of murmurs, the feedback is positive," she shares. "Only time will tell, and I believe fans everywhere would riot if there wasn't."

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