“Glass skin. Glazed donut skin. Glowy skin. We’ve heard it all. But what about your own skin? This June, EnVi celebrates the beauty of you.”
From the iconic The Princess Diaries (2001) transformation to empowering character development, beauty encompasses more than just appearances. Often intertwined with emotional and narrative development, many popular series have characters embark on their own beauty-branded journeys of self-discovery and oftentimes self-worth. Here are five shows around the world that tell stories of beauty — inside and out.
America: Shrill
Warning: Talks about body image issues, fat-shaming
Optioned off of Lindy West’s memoir Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, Shrill (2019) embraces “be brave and be shrill” from her book. West’s own incarnation, Annie, boldly steps onto center stage as a bright woman who’s ambitious for all the things society deems subordinate to her body. She’s fat, and what about it?
Developed into three seasons, Shrill stars former SNL cast member Aidy Bryant as Annie. Echoing SNL’s signature style, the show is infused with a raw humor that makes Annie relatable. Annie is a rising journalist with a messy friends-with-benefits relationship, a toxic boss, and a life that’s certainly more than just her weight. She’s trying to live her best life in spite of what seems to be her quarter-life crisis. Battling with workplace horrors and romantic nightmares, our funny heroine has many flaws, but being fat isn’t one of them.
Fat characters that aren’t desperate to lose weight or side-lined to the funny friend is a rare Hollywood find, making Shrill that much more refreshing. Annie learns to love herself in her own body despite her own internalized insecurities. She strips off the layers that hide her body and joins the pool party. Body-shaming, begone! The show encourages and empowers women to love their bodies, regardless of what society says. It’s an open message, a heartfelt note, and a kind reminder to be confident, brave, and, of course, shrill. And as Annie discovers, love yourself before anyone else.
British Canadian: Geek Girl
Based on Holly Smale’s novel, Geek Girl, Netflix’s coming-of-age comedy series, Geek Girl (2024), premiered this year with a story that perfectly embraces a “hot girl summer.” Teenager Harriet Manners is a textbook-definition geek — socially inept, unfashionable, and obsessively enthusiastic. An introvert, Harriet’s dream quickly gets shattered when her school life gets torn apart by bullies determined to make her the butt of every joke. With videos of her falls and accidents going viral on social media, the embarrassment is enough to leave Harriet reeling.
When her fairy godmother — a modeling agent — tries to scoop her up into the modeling world, Harriet is convinced to leave the geek life behind. As Harriet fumbles her way into high fashion, the clock strikes twelve. From first-time crushes to childhood friends, relationships turn sour as Harriet wrestles her two identities.
Luckily, she doesn’t completely shed the geek life behind. Driving a message for youth to claim confidence in themselves, Geek Girl offers an updated take on self-acceptance. What first started out as the bane of her social existence turns into a trademark that sets her apart. “I am a geek and maybe, that’s not so bad after all.”
Colombia: Yo soy Betty, la fea
Largely regarded as a Colombian classic, Yo Soy Betty, la Fea (1999) was an original office romance. In love with her incompetent boss, Beatriz “Betty” Pinzón Solano (Ana María Orozco) is conventionally unattractive. She’s framed with bright red glasses, braces, and a shabby fashion sense that masks her brains behind the front. Ending up having to apply to the one place that doesn’t require a photo for the job application, she gets hired.
Brought in as a secretary for a booming fashion company, the entire workplace is deeply immersed in beauty and fashion. Suffering blatant mistreatment, she’s socially ostracized and generally disrespected to boot. And with her unrequited crush on her boss getting exploited, her love life is also pretty fea. But given her expertise in economics and vital role in the company’s finances, she is — much to her coworkers’ disdain — irreplaceable.
Inspiring popular American TV series Ugly Betty (2006), Yo Soy Betty, la Fea is regarded as the most popular telenovela, with a Guinness World Record to prove it. Since its final episode in 2001, many have been clamoring for more Yo Soy Betty, la Fea content. Now, two decades after its finale, the story continues with a sequel series, Betty La Fea: The Story Continues. Set to premiere on July 19, the new series will spotlight the original main cast, as it follows Betty in a new stage of life.
Ghana: An African City
Inspired by Ghanaian creator Nicole Amarteifio’s move to Ghana after growing up in America, webseries An African City (2014) is a reverse migration story. Five Black women with aspiring sex lives, relationship problems, and career ambitions find themselves in Ghana’s capital, Accra, after living abroad. But adjusting to a new place comes with its own challenges — romantic or otherwise. While reconnecting with an unfamiliar yet familiar culture, their struggles of finding a partner increase tenfold because they’re also trying to find themselves.
This series brings back Sex and the City (1998) with an entirely fresh take, embarking on exploring sex in a new city — Accra. But like its influence, the series has more to the story than just the romance. From sugar daddies to old flames, the quintet tackle countering beliefs, reshaping identities, and blurred truths. Thankfully, they have their friendship as a support system to keep them forging ahead.
Like Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, protagonist Nana Yaa is a journalist raised in New York, who takes the viewers on her own brand of storytelling. Bringing in a first person perspective, Nana Yaa’s style of voice and fashion is bold and lively, which, of course, is courtesy to her New Yorker roots. Like Nana Yaa, her friends are a diverse group of strong, educated, vivacious women who — despite facing many challenges and setbacks — persevere and flourish.
Directly countering Western misconceptions about Africa and her people, the women showcase life in the bustling city of Accra — uplifting African culture and identity. The series is as insightful to Ghana as Sex and the City is to New York, showcasing the drama but also the daily — from power outages to real estate. Tackling themes like religion, beauty, and feminism, the series embeds relevant topics of both America and Ghana within the drama-filled narrative. Africa is urban, lively, and the home of these five women, and An African City is simply a love letter to Africa’s people.
Japan: From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke
Adapting popular shoujo manga series Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Netflix series From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke (2023) brought back the familiar story to a live-action re-imagining of popular characters Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya. Social outcast Sawako Kuronuma is nicknamed Sadako — the creepy ghost girl from The Ring (1998) — for having a pasty complexion, long black hair, and silent presence. Associated with the vengeful ghost since elementary school, her social life has been cursed ever since.
Hidden underneath her misconstrued demeanor is Sawako’s soft personality, eager to help and befriend anyone who dares to approach her. Cracking open her hard shell is Kazehaya — the bright, popular, and incredibly cheerful counterpart for Sawako’s internalized pessimism in making friends. As they slowly start to develop interest in each other, the frost around Sawako slowly starts to thaw as her classmates soon begin to realize how warm she is.
After thirteen years since its last season, the animated series Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You (2009) is returning for its third season this August. Continuing Sawako’s story, the original voice cast will reappear with Mamiko Noto as Sawako and Daisuke Namikawa as Kazehaya.
Transformations are a journey of metamorphosis, breaking open characters’ shells into a self that takes flight. With shows internationally embracing all types of beauty, keep a lookout for more beauty-ful shows and series. It’s all around you!
Interested in more ACT!ON series content? Read our piece about Netflix’s Arcane season two tease here!
