When people don’t understand the meaning of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, or enemies to lovers in general:
“enemies to lovers: two people on opposite sides of a war, a battle or feud who fall in love and work together to give an end to the conflict.”
“rivals to lovers: there’s no war, battle or feud. if there is, they’re on the same side. they just hate each other.”
“Enemies to friends to lovers: Sometimes two characters who are enemies, and have UST, can develop a friendship through grudging respect, but can pivot quickly into having a sexual (or romantic) relationship”
“enemies to lovers inherently needs suspension of disbelief & a willingness to look at stories through a non-literal lens”. Like you can’t just watch an enemies to lovers ship and call out ABUSE!…like in Star Wars…it’s a space war involving wizards with laser swords on opposite sides of a battle, who fall in love and defeat the greater evil…classic enemies to lovers.
Sometimes the friendship between the enemies can be mutual respect, or a sense of companionship. This is still ENEMIES TO LOVERS. The level of antagonism can count, but in movies, the friendship level is only touched upon because…it’s a movie. Not a 10 season tv show where the relationship can be properly developed. You can’t compare a pairing like Rey/Kylo and say they needed more friendship, because it’s a pairing in films. The ‘friendship’ was the mutual respect and similar feelings of abandonment they can share in.
You don’t just declare someone your enemy for life for taking the last banana haha.
