On The Hatred of Characters

 ***Before I begin, I want to preface this by saying the following are all OPINION based***
So sure, we all have characters we might not like as much as others. Dawn, Xander, Kennedy, Riley, etc. But why is it so hard for us to see that these people have brought something to the show?
Let's start with Dawn. Yes, Dawn is known for being whiny and annoying. But let's dig a bit deeper. For a moment, I'm going to ignore the whole Key thing. Dawn was the younger sister of a Slayer. That in and of itself could not have been easy. Then, she finds out that all those memories she has aren't even real. Add to that personality crisis the fact that, biologically, she is a teenager, and I can't blame her for being whiny. Then, she loses her mother. OUCH. Let me tell you, that is not a pleasant experience. I lost my mother figure (my grandmother) the same year The Body aired. In fact, The Body helped me through that. So, I know what Dawn was feeling in that moment. But before she gets over that, she loses her sister. Buffy not only died, but she sacrificed herself to save Dawn. That HAD to of been a bad situation for her.
Let's move on to Xander. Unfortunately, Xander has this rap for being the mess up. It's true that he is sort of the comedic relief of the show. But I see Xander as so much more than that. Yes, he has made several mistakes. But he is a human. A human who was thrust very unexpectedly into the world of the supernatural. It is my firm belief that the reason Xander was written the way he was is to remind us that humans are utterly imperfect creatures. Xander is the epitome of an imperfect human being. He's so utterly imperfect that he is actually perfect. If all the characters in the Buffyverse were perfect and had it all together all the time, it would not be nearly as relate-able or enjoyable. Also, there is the whole Yellow Crayon thing. Xander saved the world, let us not forget. He did it through his love for Willow. And that means a lot.
Now for Kennedy. Yes, Kennedy. She's a brat. No one will doubt that. Heck, Kennedy herself says as much.

                          "In fact, this may have escaped your keen notice, but, I'm kind of a brat. I've always sort of gotten my way."

 But here's the thing. Kennedy's main problem as a character is the fact that she replaced Tara, a very beloved character. It's unfortunate, but Kennedy did serve a purpose. She helped Willow through her grief for Tara and helped her see that things would be okay if she moved on. That isn't an easy position to be in, but Kennedy did it. Even more importantly, she helped Willow find the inner strength to do the spell that turned all the Potentials into full Slayers. If it hadn't been for Kennedy, I'm not entirely sure she would have found that strength. 

 And finally, Riley. There are more characters I could cover here, but I chose not to at the moment. Riley is (aside from Parker) the least popular of Buffy's love interests. He certainly is down there on my list too. But even so, he definitely served a very important purpose. As the only human Buffy had a long-term relationship, Riley gave Buffy an idea of what it would be like to have a "normal" life. I feel that she certainly learned a lot about herself and what she really wanted in the time that they were together. Riley was another imperfect human being, especially after his involvement with the Initiative. And Buffy, despite her continued pleas for a "normal" life, realized that she had spent far too long enjoying the darkness. She only realized it because of her relationship with Riley. If he hadn't been there, she might not have realized this. 

 So here's the point: even the least popular of characters served a purpose in the show. And I can almost guarantee you that there is someone out there who loves a character you might hate. On Buffyverse, this is the reason we are so adamant about acceptance. 

Please remember, this is my opinion. You are entitled to your feelings of dislike/hate for any of these characters. However, I will ask that you refrain from commenting negatively.
Thanks for reading anyway! ~Buffy

Black and White

In the early seasons, everyone in the Buffyverse was very convinced that everything was black and white. Vampires were evil. There was no room for dispute. Demons were all evil. 

Xander: I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good.

Of course, as time continued, this changed. Angel played a big part in this, as the first ensouled vampire the Scoobies encountered. Granted, not everyone was as open to accepting Angel. But by the time the Scoobies graduated high school, things were definitely seen as being shades of grey and not as black and white. 
Heck, by the time that we get to season seven, the group often get assisted by demons. (Spike and Clem specifically). Even Xander's black and white ideals changed. He went from the boy who hated anything not-human to the man who fell in love with a (former) vengeance demon.
The shades of grey is a recurring theme throughout the series. It's one of the biggest sticking points in the dispute between Buffy and the Watcher's Council. By the time she turned 18, Buffy had come to learn that things are not as black and white as everyone would  like them to be. 
For someone who has actually grown up with the show (I was seven during the first season), this changing viewpoint of what it is to be evil became a vital part of how I see the world. I spent a great deal of my formative years alongside Buffy and the Scoobies.
Is someone evil because of what they are? No. They are evil because of what they DO.
As a child, I was always told that actions speak louder than words, a lesson I have carried with me. In life, things can't always be black and white, but it's the shades of grey that make us all unique anyway. (Remember my blog post about respecting our differences?) Instead of fearing the shades of grey that surrounded their everyday lives, and trying to live in a fantasy world where everything was either good or evil, Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed that nothing is black and white. And it's yet another on the LONG list of reasons why I am very grateful to Joss Whedon, the writers, and the cast.
~Buffy

School Hard/Introductory post

So I just realized a few things that happen in the episode School Hard (S2, Ep3) 1) Spike growls in when he is in the place with the annotated (annoying) one. 2) Dru says everything she touches dies and I randomly realized that, that so includes Spike, as she sired him. And 3) Spike was only ever really evil wen he was in the fanged four. (Though I knew this but I felt there should be a three) This is admin Spike by the way, I couldn't figure out how to do an introductory blog so here it is. ~Spike

The Continuity Errors, and How They Can be Endearing

Particularly, in Season One, there are quite a few continuity errors. I personally find these little errors kind of endearing. Let me explain.
The writer's are only human. Continuity issues remind us of the fact that these God-like beings *"We are as Gods!"* are not in fact God-like.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a perfectly imperfect show.  To me that makes it so much more appealing. After all, I don't want a show where everything is perfect 100% of the time.
Also, consider this. Nothing in life is completely without flaws. Even the most beautiful of gemstones is liable to have a flaw here and there. Continuity issues happen to the best of writers. As a writer, I can attest to the hard work that goes into making sure everything is running smoothly in your story. So sometimes, it's easy to overlook things here and there.
Here's the point:
Instead of complaining about these things, how about we cut the writers some slack and enjoy that these moments exist? Pobody's Nerfect after all.

~Buffy

Roleplaying In the Buffyverse

Roleplaying in the Buffyverse

 Before starting the page, I had never roleplayed. But I agreed to give it a try, and I have to tell you I'm so glad I did. It has helped me learn quite a lot about myself. In fact, I would even go so far as to say you can tell more about someone after you roleplay with them. 

Buffy is an interesting character to rp as. In example, she is strong, not just physically but mentally as well. She's also fiercely loyal. This is something I like to think I have picked up from her. Yes, she has weaknesses. And sometimes, her friends can prove to be a weakness. They are the people the demons can use to get to her, that's true. But it's deeper than that too. Her friends can also hurt her the worst. (I.E. the way she felt at the end of End of Days when they kicked her out.) This is something I have learned too.

Admin Spike has also noted certain ways she is similar to her character. So this leads me to wonder. Are we adapting to our characters? Or did we choose them without fully understanding the parallels that were already there?
I have a few other characters that I roleplay as, but none that I feel quite as close to as Buffy. Sure, I might understand Hermione Granger a bit better. But I cannot seem to get into her mind quite as well. And forget Rose Tyler. She may be one of my favorite characters, but I fail at roleplaying her. The demon named Ruby from Supernatural is probably the closest to Buffy as far as my roleplaying skills, but that is basically because I have made the character my own in the way I portray her.

Back to the main point of this:

The group of people in the Buffyverse community that roleplay is a pretty decently sized one. We all have vastly different ways of portraying the same characters. But I like to think we all do it in a great way. Roleplaying is supposed to be fun. If we are restricted, it isn't quite as much fun. The thing I like about the Buffyverse, and rolepalying in it, is that there aren't a ton of restrictions when you are playing a Slayer, or a vampire, or a demon. Or even someone that's human but is a friend of the Slayer's. 

So take this from me. If you want to roleplay, don't let fears of restriction stop you.
By the same token, do me a favor. Don't hate on someone for playing a character different than you would/think they should. Things would go so much more smoothly, and therefore more fun if you just accept those who roleplay as they are.

Thanks for reading! ~Buffy