in my opinion, d*lena isnt enemies to lovers but its often called enemies to lovers. when i saw potential for REAL enemies to lovers with bonkai, it’s shot down.
TVD’s and imo most of the fandom version of enemies to lovers is really bad boy/good girl. The woman in question is good and pure but could potentially like someone who isn’t “good” that is appealing enough for the fans. Damon and Elena weren’t equals. Damon could hurt Elena as much as he wanted to (killing Jeremy, abusing Caroline or Bonnie to his whims if Elena did not act as he wanted her too) and Elena couldn’t do anything about it. It only lessens (but never quite stops) when Elena is more receptive to his advances. I’d even argue that Elena never hated Damon when she was with Stefan. She just refused his advances as she loved Stefan. Damon and Klaus could never remain the villains that they were when it came to Elena or Caroline because they can overpower them and have them bend to their will if need be.
BonKai never has that problem. Kai can’t do anything to Bonnie that she can’t do back! Bonnie doesn’t check off the damsel in distress boxes in the way that Elena and Caroline does. Bonnie never being the damsel is another issue with her writing. Elena and Caroline are damsels, people feel for them and understand their struggles since IRL they probably felt just as powerless. Bonnie’s a fighter, tenfold even when she feels like she has nothing. It’s not to say the other women aren’t strong just that Bonnie’s different than them. Her magic immediately sets her apart. It’s her defense. So in return, Kai can push and Bonnie can push back, and better yet? She WANTS to fight back. He opened up a darker aspect that Bonnie never got to experience long term before. It’s electric, it’s actually ya know a REAL FIGHT than what DE/KC has. BonKai’s dynamic is dark and compelling it leaves you questioning what else can they do? How will they do it? Kai doesn’t need a redemption arc to deal with Bonnie because in some moments as Kai explained his family’s history we can see Bonnie be intrigued by him. Hell, look at the gif, these are supposed to be enemies There’s a sexual tension here. Actually, Damon needs to leave so they could fuck lmao. The scene where Kai tells Bonnie he wants to be more like her is direct copy of how Klaus speaks on Caroline’s “goodness”.
What I truly think stops people from shipping BonKai and admitting they have sexual sub-texts is because we don’t see BonKai act romantic. It is a complete lie to say that BonKai doesn’t have chemistry. They do and it’s sexual, and intense when they’re fighting.
Kat’s an amazing actress, but her love interests that she’d get were so bland next to her and working with Chris really showed what she could do if given the platform. (Not to say that her scenes with other villains are bad).
The same fans that criticize BonKai will hyperfocus on the violence and Bonnie’s trauma - which is important don’t have the discussions that while Kai did traumatize her…. Bonnie’s friend group is the larger center of Bonnie’s trauma and it goes unnoticed. Every single person in the MFG has benefited from Bonnie being harmed/sacrified or was the person inflicted said harm. If Bonnie is so deeply traumatized by Kai, then neither Elena or Caroline should’ve slept with and saw said romantic interests in that light. The one time they chose (and I’m not mad that they did it’s how they did itlol) to really center in on Bonnie’s trauma that was when people made it known they liked BonKai. If she was white, they wouldn’t have cared to even admit the trauma. They’d throw them together anyway. The Gemini and Bennetts have history, the season before we see Bonnie with Liv and even interacting with Jo in S6. Then everything with Kai. The plot line was there for the taking.
I didn’t whack Legacies and how they handled Kai & his relationship with Jade so let’s do that now. To be clear for what I’m about to say isn’t on Chris for aging. I thought he looked hot to me! Anyways:
Legacies and their cesspool of mess is typically a blip on my brain. However, what I cannot forget nor forgive. Is that Kai/Chris was easily visibly older than this actress (as expected that’s not the main issue) yet Kai and Jade were working together, were told they started off as enemies and eventually started fucking. Now whose dynamic does this replicates without the sex? BonKai.
Which means Kai being violent or lacking a redemption arc was never the issue with BonKai. It resides in Bonnie/Kat being a black woman and not wanting her to have those romances and screen time.
