K-pop ‘Demon Hunter’ star talks about how her life reflects protagonist Rumi’s journey

This is part of BBC World Service’s Women of the World series, sharing extraordinary interviews and stories from around the world.

“I hated that I looked Asian, hated that I didn’t have blue eyes and blond hair, because that was what was beautiful at the time,” said Arden Cho, the actress who voices Rumi, star of Netflix’s chart-topping animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Cho, 40, describes her childhood in Texas, as the eldest daughter of Korean immigrant parents, and her struggle for acceptance in American society.

In the film, which tells the story of a trio of K-pop women who must save the world from an evil force, Rumi must come to terms with her identity as half-human, half-demon — something that struck a strong chord when Zhao first read the script.

“I was born in the United States and feel like I’m American, but people are treating me in un-American ways, trying to figure out who I am as an Asian American, as a Korean American, as a woman,” she said.

These are elements of her early life that reflect Rumi’s journey.

“I can honestly say that at different points in my life I hated myself a lot and I wanted to be someone else.

“As a kid, what you see determines who you become, and I felt like I just didn’t see enough people who looked like me.”

After launching on Netflix in June, “KPop Demon Hunters” racked up 33 million views in just two weeks and reached the top 10 on Netflix charts in 93 countries. Starring in the first Hollywood animated film set in South Korea and starring a Korean is a “dream come true” for Cho, but it also makes her a powerful role model for Asian American children, something she lacked when she was younger.

Cho said many Korean Americans told her it was “a refreshing moment” that allowed them to feel proud of their dual heritage and culture for the first time.

“I feel like K-pop has really paved the way. K-beauty has had such a big impact on the love of Korea. But I feel like this movie makes everyone want to go to Korea now,” Cho said.

But the film’s success was not guaranteed, and Cao said she felt the team making the film “faced an uphill battle at times.”

“I feel like it’s a bad thing to say, but whenever there’s an Asian-led project, people feel like it’s a risk,” she said.

So, she said, when she took the role, she made an effort to meet everyone in the movie.

The film comes as the United States ramps up immigration raids as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportations, sparking protests in many states.

As an Asian American living in the United States, Cao said “it’s heartbreaking and disappointing.” “Immigration made America what it is.”

South Korean news media estimate that as many as 150,000 Korean immigrants without proper documentation, including adopted children, could be deported.

As an adult, Cho began to realize that much of the racism she experienced as a youth stemmed from a lack of education, as people didn’t know what it meant to be Korean or Asian.

“But now in this day and age, when I feel like the world and people deserve to know better, it’s really disappointing and sometimes I feel like we feel so hopeless,” she said.

Because of this, she said, it feels so special that K-pop Demon Hunters can bring “hope and joy and love to all these different communities.”

“Maybe that’s why it’s kind of like the movie of the summer, because we just need some hope and something to hold us together.”

The development of artificial intelligence is a major focus for the film industry, raising the possibility that AI will be used to produce films like K-Pop Demon Hunters in the future.

Cho said she is aware that AI is already being used to replicate actors’ voices, but hopes “there is hope for humanity” that people will still seek out human-created art.

“Of course, I’m sure they’ll have AI actors and singers. I know they already exist. I know our voices have been manipulated, but I hope people have some respect and want and love for the real thing.”

KPop Demon Hunters has also been dominating music charts around the world, with seven songs from its soundtrack reaching the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, with audiences around the world asking for a sequel.

Cho told us she hopes she can answer the question of whether that will happen, but both she and fans will have to wait for Netflix or Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is producing the film, to greenlight the film.

“I know there’s a lot of noise and I’m hearing wonderful things,” she said. “So we’ll see, and I think if it doesn’t happen, everyone in the world will riot.”

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