Your Favorite Element of Buffy

[Uncle Rory]

The way I see it, and clearly demonstrated by the various opinions and priorities on this site, Buffy seems to be all things to all people.

For some it's a Horror show.
For others it's a soap opera.
It's Saved by the bell with Vamps.
It's Sci-Fi in season 4 and 6. (and various eps throughout)
It's comedy.
It's camp.
It's fantasy.
It's a Kung fu show.
It's an action show.
It's also a vehicle for promoting gender issue agendas. (hope that's a fairly neutral way of stating that, my apologies to anyone's senstivities)
etc. etc. etc.

Do you think it succeeds in all these aspects? What's your favorite aspect of the show? The show was SUPER-AMBITIOUS but does it really succeed in all realms?

My main interest in Buffy was as a Horror program. I personally think, that it was pretty light on the horror for the first season but then got deadly serious in seasons 3 5 and 7. Never quite as dark as Angel (which is what I really hoped for) but close. I think the crowning achievement as far as pure horror is concerned were the eps "The Body", "Hush" "The Gift" and "The Chosen" with a few other scary eps thrown in from time to time.

I'm only hoping to get some good discussion going here but hope not to be taken the wrong way. I am still of the "Don't change anything about it except make more" Faction.

Uncle Rory

 

[hollybuffyfan1]

I think becuase its about the people
more than anything and that vamps and demons are just
init to make it more fun to watch. The people
have great personalities. xx

 

[fly on the wall]

I think each individual that watches Buffy can get out of it what they're looking for. And that's what makes the show so great. It IS all of the things you listed, but not for every person that watches it. Each viewer can appreciate something about the show, and see what aspect they like the most in entertainment. It makes the show feel personal, individual, and "mine" (if you get what I mean).

It's difficult for any show to be able to do that, but BtVS does it wonderfully.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

The way I see it, and clearly demonstrated by the various opinions and priorities on this site, Buffy seems to be all things to all people.

For some it's a Horror show.
For others it's a soap opera.
It's Saved by the bell with Vamps.
It's Sci-Fi in season 4 and 6. (and various eps throughout)
It's comedy.
It's camp.
It's fantasy.
It's a Kung fu show.
It's an action show.
It's also a vehicle for promoting gender issue agendas. (hope that's a fairly neutral way of stating that, my apologies to anyone's senstivities)
etc. etc. etc.

Do you think it succeeds in all these aspects? What's your favorite aspect of the show? The show was SUPER-AMBITIOUS but does it really succeed in all realms?

My main interest in Buffy was as a Horror program. I personally think, that it was pretty light on the horror for the first season but then got deadly serious in seasons 3 5 and 7. Never quite as dark as Angel (which is what I really hoped for) but close. I think the crowning achievement as far as pure horror is concerned were the eps "The Body", "Hush" "The Gift" and "The Chosen" with a few other scary eps thrown in from time to time.

I'm only hoping to get some good discussion going here but hope not to be taken the wrong way. I am still of the "Don't change anything about it except make more" Faction.

Uncle Rory

I agree with the above noted; BtVS is so great because it is a multi-genre show. I have always most strongly associated it with horror, though. Certainly, there are elements of meldrama, camp, sci-fi, and comedy, but at it's heart is horror.

My favorite aspect of the show is how specifically the earlier seasons, monsters were used as metaphors for real teenage problems.

I think a fiction of any kind succeeds if everyone can see some part of themselves in it. BtVS (and to a lesser extent AtS) does that. Like I say, there's something for everyone in BtVS. As an example, my mother is very interested in the feminist messages in the show. Like, Buffy as a modern heroine. Some people like the comedy, the bitter irony and the wit. Some people love the melodrama. The show changed how people looked at television. It was constantly breaking the barriers and doing what other shows were not. This is why it is a cult classic and always will be. 🙂

Well, in terms of not changing anything? I also beleive that being a good fan also means being an intelligent critic. And so it's important to also note what could have been done better. So, I don't agree that everything about the shows is great, but over-all it's obviously a very well-done show.

Ok. Done now.

BTW, how does everyone like my new username? I think it's pretty rad myself.
[br][/br]
Edit:
[br][/br]

I think becuase its about the people
more than anything and that vamps and demons are just
init to make it more fun to watch. The people
have great personalities. xx

I agree. The characters on the show (most, anyway) are very well-developed. As a result, we care for them and their fates. This is what keeps us coming back over and over again. This is what makes us wonder about the age-old questions: Did Buffy Love Spike?, etc.

 

[cryptwarmer]

I think the horror aspect is the least of it for me. I'm all about the people growing, changing and the humor. The writing is smart, I enjoy almost any type of genre if the writing is smart. I just get a thrill from a great line, etc.

I also really enjoy having the interest of an alternate reality to play with in my mind. Then I get to think about the ethics, and "laws" of it, etc. I mean the rules of a world where demons and monsters and magic are all real. It's like a game for the mind.

But I do think the fact that it hits so many different genre's is a plus for me, I get a taste of several things, get to indulge in a bit of romance, horror, etc. all in one fun package. Nice.

 

[Five]

I agree with Cryptwarmer (love the nickname btw), for me it's always been about the characters, their amazing development... and the dialogue. I literally can't get enough Buffy talk. It's so sassy, and, as a friend of mince once said... "Never undercount the sassy!".

 

[Randy Giles]

I like the entire mix of Buffy...the mixture of elements is what makes it unique.

 

[itsxpaperdoll]

I think each individual that watches Buffy can get out of it what they're looking for. And that's what makes the show so great. It IS all of the things you listed, but not for every person that watches it. Each viewer can appreciate something about the show, and see what aspect they like the most in entertainment. It makes the show feel personal, individual, and "mine" (if you get what I mean).

It's difficult for any show to be able to do that, but BtVS does it wonderfully.

I think that is spot on. BtVS (and Angel) is a show with so many sides; there's action, drama, humour, a bit of horror, and a lot more. I think everyone can identify with at least some parts of the show. There are so many good characters, that people with completely different interests can find a favourite. And because of this, everyone can feel that the show is 'theirs', their own guilty little pleasure maybe (if you consider it as either camp or a soap opera)
Personally I like the mixture of drama, action and comedy. I don't particulary like drama, but because there is also the other two, I'm okay with the more emotional scenes and episodes. There is suspense to make me want to watch more, and there is humour for when things get too grim.

 

[Blaze]

For me, it's all about the characters. The genre is only half as important as the character developpment. They were multi-dimentionnal which made them so much more attractive. You would feel their pain and joy. It would actally hurt you if some of them broke up or got hurt or die. I remember almost not sleeping for 2 days after Tara's death. The characters feel real in buffy and you really get attach to them and not many show can succesfully do that. That's what makes Buffy so good and even 5 years after the serie is over, I can still not put the show down because the characters feel like family. They are people that you can relate to

-Blaze-

 

[silentxautumn]

What really drew me in at first was the whole "super-girl-killing-various-monsters" thing. Then again, I was 8-years-old when I followed that way of thinking. As I got older, I grew to adore the characters and the way they seemed so real. It wasn't until the show's end that the things that happened to the Scoobies started to become incorporated in my life and it was then that I realized how the show helped to shape me into who I was to become.

In reality, it almost seemed real to me. In my mind, the characters were like friends to me. As with Blaze, when Tara died, I cried and I cried and I couldn't believe it and it hurt.

The show also has elements that can appeal to just about anyone. Whether you're a sex addict (which you really should get help for) or someone who appreciates special effects, there's a treat for everybody.

 

[anyatara]

It's a sci-fi comedy with action and drama. 😉
And to be honest I don't know WHAT made it look interesting to me.

Oh! Wait, I remember. It was Cordelia's singing. Which reading back makes me sound like a crazy person, but I'll continue anyway. 😉 I remember flicking through channels and coming onto a random channel with someone singing really badly. (I was watching The Puppet Show. 😉) so I found it funny and decided to watch, and by the time the episode ended, I was hooked. I loved the drama and suspense and how it was coupled with comedy and stuff. So, I still can't put my finger on what's so good about, but there you have it. Maybe Cordelia's singing's bad but it got at least one fan to the show. 😉

 

[Perny]

A huge amount of sexy, fun, action, and good storytelling in one place... It's like the cocktail of WIN

 

[LorneyTunes]

I love Buffy because, I can relate to it , maybe not the horror/ sci fi lol But the real life in it, Death, Love, Loss, pain angry, the funnys. I also love the fact that watching it with a Family member always makes me think of them no matter what I do. I love the music, the Characters, the storylines. It has action, adventure and romance it has every issue. It to me is what Star trek did when it came out.

 

[definition of insane]

I can't say there is any one thing I like about Buffy. I loved it all. The drama, the humour, the suspense, the scary bitey things....all this multi layered, multi dimensional stuff that somehow all seems to make perfect metaphorical sense somehow. I liked it all. I like being able to relate to the people and the situations and the relationships they form and the that they still came out relatively okay despite massive screw ups. It makes me feel like there's still hope for me.

 

[InsaneMystic]

Aside from looking at Aly? 😀

Prime thing for me would be the excellent humor, especially as it manages to never become too ridiculously campy *cough*LaterSeasonsOfXena*cough*, but I've always been into horror too, and the plots and character dynamics of Joss' making are about the best stuff going on on TV, not even the sometimes horrid German dub can fully ruin it. ^^

 

[Fake Shemp]

the whole thing!!

the script, whether its comedy, drama, doing a send up, a rip off, whatever it is sooooo quotable and memorable (more than any other show imo) maybe because it uses references too

It had the right amount of everything you've mentioned, and i think thats why the fan base is so varied as people watch it for different things, initially, but are drawn into it completely.

 

[Aly Fan]

I totally agree with Shempy!!! I think that it's the entire package that makes the show work!! It's so varried and diverse which allows it to appeal to a large amounts of people who may like completely different things.

Personally i believe a main reason behind the shows wide viewership is due to the abilty for the viewers to easily attach themselves and become emotionally connected with the characters. The show is written so well that most people want to know what's going to happen to their character..how they will develop. Personally that's what i love about it. I love experiencing the same feelings as the character on screen...feeling what they are feeling.

 

[sk]

Most I found the show extremely funny. But it is the brilliant mix of great humor and the really dark stuff that makes it excellent.

I also love the friendship. The scooby gang friendship beats all other different "ships" by far imho.

/SK

 

[grrarg]

My favorite aspect of the show is how specifically the earlier seasons, monsters were used as metaphors for real teenage problems.

I totally agree. What drew me to the first couple seasons was how intelligent the show actually is once you look beyond its campy surface. Joss was brilliant at exagerating the anxieties of teenagers into events and catastrophes that become somehow relateable because of the inspiration behind them.

I agree. The characters on the show (most, anyway) are very well-developed. As a result, we care for them and their fates. This is what keeps us coming back over and over again. This is what makes us wonder about the age-old questions: Did Buffy Love Spike?, etc.

This show seriously has a character for everyone. I've never found it so hard to pick a favourite! (Anya) And it's even rarer to find a group of people so extremely diverse come together and love each other... and have it seem authentic. That's the power of master storytelling right there.