For me it wasn't about Buffy, it was the whole gang

[Dazza]

If anything Buffy was my least favorite (in the early seasons). I loved the entire ensemble, the way they all clicked together. I particularly liked Willow, Xander and Giles probably in that order.

I did start to like Buffy more in the later seasons, and Willow's appeal really waned for me after the HS years.

 

[Robb Stark]

I see what you mean, but I always liked Buffy herself the best on BTVS. I actually thought once the high school years ended and the original cast splintered a bit the overall quality declined. It was always good, I always enjoyed it, but it wasn't the same for me after S3. Riley, Anya, Tara and even Andrew and Dawn never really captured me like Angel, Cordy and Oz. The only truly great addition to the full time cast post-S3 I felt was Spike, and really, we already knew him from S2.

Conversely however, I thought Angel the series did a fantastic job of always maintaining a very strong core. Angel was an awesome lead, but Cordy, Doyle, Wes, Fred, Lorne, Gunn, Lindsey and Spike were all, every one, incredibly strong characters. The overall depth, character wise, on Angel was better than on BTVS in my books.

I always liked Xander and Giles, but I have to agree with your sentiment on Willow. After S3, I couldn't stand her. She was tolerable in S4 but beyond that? Brutal.

 

[EffieT1]

I think this is most true for Angel the show but the Buffy gang was also key which is why when the dynamic breaks in the later seasons I like the show less

 

[JCoatsworth]

Totally agree. I thought that the story arcs of the other Scoobies were better and more interesting than the main character's story arcs . I love the characters' chemistry and how the characters change throughout the series etc. It's stuff like that which kept me going when the story was slowing down, like in season 4, for example.

 

[brinkster130]

I loved the scoobie dynamic in the early seasons; Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles were great together and it was fun to see Cordy, Oz, Angel and Jenny interacting with them. I always thought that the characters were their best (and most likable) during those times when their group had a good trusting friendship vibe going on.

Totally agree on the Willow front. Her character has (sadly) been going down hill for a long time.

 

[Xin Rong]

I hated Buffy for a lot of the tv series, pretty much all of s4-7... although I 'understand' her motives etc, I think she's just an arrogant douche from season 3 onwards. For me it was always the gang, and not even just the core three, but all the others like cordy/angel/anya that made the show, Buffy was just the catalyst that brought these people together.

 

[BuffyElevated]

If anything Buffy was my least favorite (in the early seasons). I loved the entire ensemble, the way they all clicked together. I particularly liked Willow, Xander and Giles probably in that order.

I did start to like Buffy more in the later seasons, and Willow's appeal really waned for me after the HS years.

I completely agree with this. Buffy herself wasn't the initial draw for me to watch the show; I loved the chemistry between the entire group. I did grow to like Buffy a LOT as the show went on, but Xander was always my favorite character. I really loved Willow in the beginning but by the end of the show, they ruined her for me and I couldn't even stand to watch her by the time Season 7 came.

 

[Blaze]

Like a lot of you, Buffy was never my favorite but now that I've seen the serie countless times, she grew on me immensely.

Unlike people, I still love Willow in the latter season simply because I think that she's an interesting character. She's not likeable at all in most of the later season but it doesn't matter because I like where her character is going. Kind of when you like a villain, to me her development is one of the most interesting in the serie.

Overall, I have to agree though, I started watching Buffy for the cast as a whole and not for Buffy only. Same with AtS.

 

[CSIgirl86]

Buffy was also not my favorite character. I didn't hate her I just couldn't relate to her in the earlier seasons (especially season 1). What drew me to the show was the dynamic of the entire cast. What kept me hooked into the show was my love for Willow and Spike. The show aired when I was 10 and the character I related to the most was Willow. I was also coming to terms with my sexuality around the same time Willow was so she has always held a special place in my heart (sorry to get sappy there). I loved Spike because he seemed like the most complex character on the show and I loved watching him develop over the years. Plus he was pretty darn funny.