Interview: Arden Cho on 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Mega Success

It’s safe to say everyone is feeling the ‘Golden’ fever. Created for Netflix’s hugely successful original animation KPop Demon Hunters, the film follows a K-pop girl group called Huntrix who fight demons in secret to protect the world. 

The movie immediately caused a buzz upon its release in late June and shows no signs of slowing down (in fact, it hit its all-time high in viewership in week five on Netflix). From its stunning animation style to the incredible roster of original songs, KPop Demon Hunters is an intoxicating and delightful blend of blockbuster entertainment, Korean traditions, K-pop culture, and top-tier music production that audiences can’t get enough of.

At the centre of it all is Rumi, the leader of Huntrix and protagonist of the KPop Demon Hunters. Ambitious, strong, and relatable, Rumi is the inspiring heroine who holds the fictional group and film together. Bringing the layered character to life is Arden Cho, best known for her roles in Teen Wolf and Partner Track. 

Despite only stepping into voice acting for the first time for the film, Cho’s ability to imbue the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength makes Rumi a compelling female character you can’t help but root for.

While Cho was recently in Malaysia, we sat down with the 39-year-old actress to talk about KPop Demon Hunters’ huge global success, her complex relationship with her Asian identity, who her favourite K-pop groups are, and if a sequel is in the works.

How did you feel when KPop Demon Hunters hit number one on Netflix? 

I’m just really, really thankful. I mean, what a time! I feel like for Asian Americans, it has always been such a struggle for us to be the main character, to have these complex three-dimensional characters to portray.

So I think the fact that KPop Demon Hunters, a story based on so much of Korean culture, music, fashion, and beauty, is being so loved and enjoyed worldwide from all these different types of people is really, truly special.

I hope all Asian Americans, not just Korean Americans, but anyone who relates to this Asian identity, feel empowered by it.

I just think about myself as a little girl and always feeling like it wasn’t cool to be Asian or that some things in our culture might have been considered weird or different, but now we’re in such a different time and it is just the absolute best feeling to have our culture, food, music, fashion, all of it be so loved.

How big did you think the film was going to be? Did you have a gut feeling it would be this successful?

Honestly, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how big this would have been. My friends and everyone close to me know that the second I heard about the project, I was like, “Yes, 100 per cent I want in.”

And then once we started seeing the animation truly develop and knew that Sony and Netflix were doing this, I thought, how can it not be big?

For one, I love the animation style Sony has. Our artists and animators are so brilliant. Maybe I’m biased, but I believe they brought the most beautiful characters to life through design and colour. Rumi, Zoe, and Mira are so beautiful, badass, and cool. 

Secondly, Netflix is such a global platform. It really reaches a worldwide audience.  And of course, if it is about K-pop and demon hunters, and it’s got everything we love, how can it not be a global phenomenon? There was also a sense of hesitation behind an original animated series and fear, too. This project was a lot of firsts.

But at the same time, I think back to when I saw the first cut of the movie, and I was bawling the whole time! [laughs] If I know this story inside and out and I’m still crying, it’s got to be good, right?

It was on those things that everyone who worked on it felt the same thing. Everyone internally was so excited. Our directors really put their heart and soul into this. 

Most of all, it just feels Korean. There’s something so special about that. To see something heavily Korean-inspired on such a big platform like Netflix is incredible.

What was your audition for KPop Demon Hunters like?

Oh, man. This is a funny story! Initially, I actually auditioned for Celine, Rumi’s mentor and adoptive mother. I didn’t even consider that I could be Rumi. She’s the lead, way too cool, and definitely going to be voiced by someone way more awesome than me—which was totally fine! [laughs] I just wanted to be a part of something that I felt like was going to be historical for our culture and community. 

So I sent in a voice recording of me in my lowest-pitched voice because Celine has that sultry, mysterious aura, right? Then I found out that she was going to be voiced by Kim Yunjin, and I’m such a fan of hers. She was a far better choice for Celine! I was just happy to audition for it at that point.

But then, I got a callback and they asked if I could audition for Rumi instead. And I was like, “Of course!” I was in Korea at the time, booked my flight back right away, and arrived at Sony as soon as I could. I remember it was quite an extensive audition. It was just me with our directors, producers, and casting. 

Overall, I think that the casting did a fantastic job. Everyone worked hard to make sure the film was authentic and that there were a lot of Korean voices involved.

How did you feel when you got the call that you were Rumi?

I can’t exactly remember where I was when I found out, but I do remember the feeling I had walking out of my callback session at Sony. You know, it was one of those things where I just felt really good. I’ve been in this industry for about 20 years now, and we audition for so many projects. 

As actors, it can be a bit tough when you want something, but it doesn’t work out. But with KPop Demon Hunters, I just had a good feeling walking out of that callback. Some jobs just come your way.

KPop Demon Hunters is your first voice acting role. How was transitioning from sets to the studio booth?

Oh, I was scared. I have this perfectionist side of me that wants everything to be perfect. But scripts were always changing, and we would try out different things on the spot, take out scenes, and add new ones in. So with each session, I was going in not fully knowing what to expect. 

It’s a huge sound booth with all the mics set up. Our sound engineers, directors, producers, and editors would be in the mixing room with their laptops. At first, it felt really embarrassing and a bit silly because everyone’s just watching you. 

They’ve got all these cameras set up to film my reactions. I was in there, no makeup and in my sweats. And, as you know, the movie gets a bit goofy at times. We have to make these funny voices and sounds. At first, I was so shy, but once we started recording and I got some good reactions, I started to enjoy the process.

For once, I didn’t have to worry about what I looked like. I started playing around and let the child in me out. It felt really liberating, fun, and exhilarating to be free like that.

How did you develop your voice for Rumi?

I truly believe that I found Rumi’s voice through a collective effort. Everyone helped give me a ton of direction. It was my first time doing voice acting for an animation, and I felt a lot of pressure, not just because I wanted to do a good job, but also because I wanted to honour Rumi. 

Her story is so deep and complex. Maggie and Chris put so much effort into this project and shaping her character that I really wanted to make everyone proud. 

How do you personally relate to the character of Rumi?

She’s a really meaningful character because so much of Rumi’s story reminds me of my younger years. I don’t want to say I was ashamed of being Asian, but I felt like it was a handicap. Because of my ethnicity, I wasn’t considered beautiful or lead material.

However, it wasn’t until my late 20s and early 30s that I truly began embracing my Asian culture and identity. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to show how awesome it is to be Korean American. 

But, you know, I wasn’t really proud of that until I was older, right? It took time. And I’m not mad at my younger self for thinking that way. Growing up experiencing all this racism and discrimination, I was broken, scared, and lacked confidence—a lot like how Rumi was scared to show her true colours. But when she learned to embrace her patterns and show her true self, she shone. She blossomed into who she was meant to be. 

Rumi embracing her weakness, which became her biggest strength, is where I truly identify with her. I’m at this point in life now where I know a little bit more of who I am. 

And to all the little girls and boys out there, I hope you feel that message when you watch the film. We should never hide our scars or pain because that’s what makes us truly beautiful and shapes who we are. We’re all Rumi in our own way.

Huntrix was voiced by different speaking and singing actors. How was it seeing Rumi come to life through the music?

Oh, I love Huntrix’s vocalists! Ejae has such an incredible range and is an amazing vocalist. She also really helped bring Rumi to life with her singing. Then, there’s Audrey Nuna with her sexy raspy tone, and Rei Ami is so adorable and talented. They’re all amazing at what they do and make Huntrix so badass. 

I love our vocal cast, and I feel we’re so lucky to have all these amazing people bring our characters to life together.

Why do you think global audiences resonate with KPop Demon Hunters so much?

Simply put, the movie itself is just amazing. It’s not a good movie for an Asian story. It’s just a good movie in and of itself. The storytelling is incredible, the animation is phenomenal, and the music is the perfect blend of huge Hollywood Broadway production that also still feels really K-pop.

There’s the traditional aspect too, I really loved getting to know more about my culture through the film as well. All the artists involved were so thoughtful about honouring the culture and history.

KPop Demon Hunters centres around the K-pop world, so we have to ask—what are some of your favourite K-pop groups?

I love BTS. I just love everything about them as a whole. They’re incredible performers, amazing dancers, and I love their music videos. I’m a little shy to admit this, but my bias is Jimin, mainly because of ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’. I just love his performance in that music video so much!

It’s so funny too because everyone asks me who my Saja Boys bias is and I’m like, “Baby Saja, for sure.” And it all checks out because he has such similar vibes to Jimin, right? My friends tell me I’m so typical! [laughs]

I also gravitate a lot to the girl-crush edgy songs, like Blackpink’s ‘How You Like That’ or 2NE1’s ‘I Am The Best’. I never had that confidence before when I was younger, but through listening to K-pop music, I felt so much more empowered. 

When it comes to K-pop idols, I love Hwasa. I think she’s so badass. I’m also obsessed with IU. I’m such a huge fan of all her dramas and music. I think she just has the most perfect voice and face. 

But obviously now, I also have to say Huntrix is my favourite! All I’m listening to is Huntrix. It’s absolutely mindblowing that our soundtrack is number one worldwide. 

Do you have a scene that was your favourite to act out?

I really like the confrontation between Rumi and Celine at the end. I think the reason it was so touching for me was because I was a really angsty teenager. I was a lot like Rumi in the sense that I wanted to hide a lot of who I was. That scene hit home for me, and acting it out felt almost healing in a way.

I also love all my scenes with Jinu because he’s the only one who really sees Rumi for who she is and accepts it. There’s something so special about them. Everyone strives for that. We all want to be seen for who we truly are and accepted for who we truly are.

What else can your fans look forward to from you?

I have two movies in the works, so please watch out for those! 

I’ve also been putting my music on hold for the past five years. I’m not a singer, per se. I just like to sing. I like music, but I make music as more like a healing process. I love to write and create music, almost like therapy. I write a ton when I’m in between projects, and quite often, I have 30 or 40 songs that are just sitting in the vault. 

Right now, I have a tiny window of time, which is why I’ve actually been in Malaysia shooting some amazing music videos. I’m super excited to put that out and release some of my music that I’ve been sitting on for many years. 

Lastly, is there anything you can say about a potential KPop Demon Hunters sequel?

Of course, my dream is to do a sequel, 100 per cent! I would love for Huntrix, especially Rumi, to find Jinu and rescue him. I feel like he’s not really dead! 

But this is also completely out of my power and all up to Netflix. So, please stream KPop Demon Hunters and tell all your friends to watch it over and over again, because until Netflix gives us the okay on the sequel, we don’t know.

But I’m really holding out hope for one and keeping my fingers crossed! 

KPop Demon Hunters is available to stream on Netflix.

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