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We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. "KPop Demon Hunters" is a massive hit for Netflix and one of the biggest movies of 2025. It also may've saved the career of one of its key stars. Arden Cho, who voices Rumi, is a crucial part of the now-beloved animated movie. But before that, Cho was very seriously considering walking away from acting altogether. Taking to Tiktok in August, Cho ruminated on what was then the third anniversary of her Netflix legal rom-com "Partner Track." It marked the first time that Cho was the lead of a series. The show was also canceled after just one season, which really hit her hard. As Cho explained, when the series ended, she figured her career was over with it: "Life is really funny. Today is actually the third anniversary of 'Partner Track.' If you don't know, 'Partner Track' was my first show as a 'one,' so it was my first show as a lead on Netflix. And it got canceled. When it got canceled, I decided to quit the business because I just felt like maybe that was that for me. Still got to have a show, still got to have that moment, so I thought I was done with this career and this industry." "I ended up taking a big break. I traveled for about a year and a half. I did a lot of things that were on my bucket list," Cho added. While Cho briefly played June in the first season of Netflix's live-action "Avatar: The Last Airbender," she wasn't seeking work and seemed content to move on with her life. Then came the project that changed everything. When Cho was approached to star in "KPop Demon Hunters," it just clicked. She loved everything about it, from its Korean setting and heroes to its embrace of K-pop. So, she signed on for the role of Rumi and, spoiler alert, it proved to be a great decision. As Cho put it: "I just really loved this idea of an animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads that are female, that are cool and bada**, and it has K-pop and action and romance, humor, a little bit of everything that I love. And I'm such a big animation lover, so I was really excited about it and so honored that I got to voice Rumi. And then, now, today, on the day that is the three-year anniversary of what was my baby, our movie is No. 1 on Netflix." "KPop Demon Hunters" even topped the box office in August, to the surprise of Hollywood at large. It performed so well that Netflix is releasing the film again over Halloween. This speaks volumes about just how successful the movie has become in the broader cultural sphere, even beyond viewership numbers. Indeed, on top of being Netflix's most-watched original movie ever, it's resonated far more than the streamer's previous hits like "Red Notice" and "The Grey Man." This film is going to become a huge franchise with sequels and maybe even spin-offs, and it's saved Cho's career. That's no small thing. "It feels like the biggest gift to me because this movie reminded me why I love making movies and art and TV and film and telling stories, because it makes people happy," Cho concluded. "I'm just so happy this movie is bringing people so much joy, and I'm so happy to be a part of it, and I'm so thankful I get to share this moment with all of you." You can grab the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack from Amazon.
