I felt the same way about Catradora! My friend and I discussed how we were suspicious (esp me, I usually hate enemies/to-lovers), but we were both familiar with Stevenson’s graphic novel Nimona, which also has the trope, and is done well. TL;DR, Noelle Stevenson is the only person I trust with this trope.
right?!?!?! i’m just so used to seeing it as these bitter enemies who’s only ever connection to each other is that they Hate Each Other and are On Opposite Sides, so it never feels like a good healthy basis for a romantic partnership. Catradora, of course, never started like that, which helped it from the start - it was two friends who reacted to their shared trauma in very different ways and it lead one to break while the other stayed. it was far more interesting and complex from the start, but i was still wary. it’s still not my favorite trope, but i know if it comes up in Noelle’s next projects i’ll be far more open to it
