Why do princesses always have to be drop-dead gorgeous? Why can’t there be normal looking princesses? Or better yet . . . a princess who may not be so fair and perfect?

“Cursed Princess Club” created by webtoon artist LambCat turns the tables on typical fairy tale tropes. Instead of depicting a perfect princess main character whom sets unrealistic standards for viewers and makes them wish for a fictional fairy tale life, LambCat introduces a new comedic story following the daily skirmishes and life of cursed princess Gwendolyn.

Gwendolyn may have once been beautiful and sparkling like her older sisters Maria and Lorena, or even like her younger brother James, but the webtoon introduces her in her already-cursed state, illustrating Gwen as having a green skin undertone, pointy teeth, wide eyes and limp green locks. Perhaps not typically the image of “pretty,” but Gwendolyn is a very beautiful person on the inside.

Although the concept may seem sad, whereas other stories with a similar plot may take the story down a road towards where the cursed princess searches endlessly for a cure while being ridiculed by everyone around her, that is not the case here.

Refreshingly, Gwen does not search high and low for a way to break her curse. She lives her life normally, spending time with her family, baking pies and crafting. She’s a very sweet character who loves her family and will do anything to help others, making the reader instantly grow fond and protective of her as if they were one of her family members.

Her family is very doting and loving towards her, treating her as the lovely person she is instead of focusing on her cursed image. It’s very heartwarming to see Gwendolyn’s family treat her normally and be fiercely considerate of her. It makes one wish society wasn’t so obsessed with outside perspectives and retaining a perfect image.

The comedy surrounding Gwendolyn’s curse and her life is an entertaining approach to this sort of plot. Instead of being depressing and a big ball of negative topics, the webtoon focuses on the positive side of things while exhibiting them through bright, colorful images and family love.

The artwork reminds one of a cutesy anime aesthetic, showcasing the Pastel Kingdom and Gwendolyn and her family’s fun personalities and humor clearly to the viewer, so they become enchanted and drawn into feeling the positive vibes.

The webtoon itself currently doesn’t have much more than nine chapters, but so far, the story is cute, funny and very heartwarming. It’s not a deep, complex story with many layers to it. “Cursed Princess Club” is more like relaxing, coffee table pick-me-up material for those who simply wish for an entertaining, quick read, or perhaps something to peek in on every week to have about five minutes of cutesy, colorful fun.

However, it’s enjoyable, comedic stories like this that may just help people change their minds on the definition of what beauty is and how a person’s character matters much more in the end than their physical beauty.