#and tillow isn’t my favorite ship and Tara isn’t my favorite character

[petpluto]

I get that the writers ‘needed’ Tara to die to get their surprise Big Bad of season 6 in Dark!Willow, but it destroys one of the better parts of season 6 for me. Which is -

Tara going back and trying with Willow is the culmination of one of the main conflicts I see in season 6; that being fear versus trust, and how various characters fail (or succeed) when confronted with a fork in the road. “Understand we’ll go hand in hand but we’ll walk alone in fear” is there for a reason. I think Willow acts out of fear for a lot of season 6, before starting to work on herself and trusting herself. Xander doesn’t go through with his marriage due to his fear. Giles *leaves the country* because he fears he’s holding Buffy back (and sub-textually, losing her again). But Tara comes back because she has spent that time alone, and chooses to trust in Willow, and to trust that letting go of the past is the right move. She triumphs where the others falter.

And she does so again and again in season 6. She becomes wholly realized as a separate character from Willow, with bonds with other members of the Scooby Gang (mostly Buffy and Dawn, but still) outside of Willow in a way other romantic partners don’t get to have. She has a life outside of Willow and outside of their group, and has more firmly found her place in that group.

And season 6 rips that away from us, for what to me is a lackluster exploration of Willow’s grief and insecurities and fears. The show that has as a running theme the tragedy of girls being used as tools for a greater “good” commits the same sin.

#buffy the vampire slayer #tara mclay #willow rosenberg #tillow #don’t get me wrong #I like the idea of Dark!Willow #and Alyson Hannigan is talented enough to pull almost anything off #but - partially because I didn’t enjoy the addiction arc in season 6 - I don’t like this turn #it kind of bored me? #and Alyson Hannigan very rarely doesn’t deliver #and tillow isn’t my favorite ship and Tara isn’t my favorite character #but they do something really cool with Tara here #and Willow and Tara here #anyway I wish they’d come up with a different way to make Dark!Willow appear #a slow descent into a controlling force #a fast descent into some other propulsion toward darkness #idk man #I know it’s been discussed to death #fridging girl love interests #burying your gays #but the story told through Tara is understated and sweet and uplifting #and the story of her death is just a stepping stone for Willow #it sucks all the more that it happens after she becomes her own character

[comradesummers]

💖👎💘 for the shipping meme

Hi, thank you so much for asking!

💖- Ship that needs more love: Buffy/Tara

I get that it’s a non-canon ship for two characters that are both already one half of at least one other very popular ship. But they’re just so sweet to one another. So nice. So understanding. I mean, I feel like I’ve said all this before, but I will continue saying it until someone agrees with me.

👎 - Ship that you can never see happening: Buffy/Giles

Look, I understand why some people like it and I know that in concept it’s not any more inappropriate than Bangel, for instance. With that said, Giles is Buffy’s dad. He has a father’s love for the child. And Buffy and Giles’s father/daughter relationship is one of my favorite relationships in the show. It’s so perfectly constructed that to even consider them in a romantic context makes me so uncomfortable. Like, honestly, not every expression of love between a man and a woman is romantic for God’s sake.

On a related note, an honorable mention goes to any ship that involves Dawn with a character that used to babysit her (this is why the fandom has collectively repressed the existence of the Dark Horse comics).

💘 - Ship that is unpopular but you still like: Willow/Kennedy

It’s really hard to gauge what is and isn’t popular when your main source of fandom interaction is this insular hellsite. But even on tumblr it’s pretty obvious that no one likes this ship. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that Kennedy is an unpopular character in general. And, I’m gonna be honest, I don’t like Kennedy that much either. I mean, I’m a Buffy Summers stan, I was never going to love a character that spends 90% of her screentime undermining Buffy’s authority. 

But with all that said, I think the relationship itself is fine? Like it’s not Tillow or anything but it’s not really supposed to be. I mean, obviously these two aren’t going to grow old together or whatever and they both know it. But quite frankly, wanting to fuck a hot girl at the end of the world is a perfectly good reason to get into a relationship if you ask me, and I support both Willow and Kennedy in this endeavor.

#buffy summers #tara maclay #rupert giles #dawn summers #willow rosenberg #kennedy #does she have a last name? #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer

[imaslowlearner-butilearn]

For the character thing: Anya Jenkins (BtVS)

Give me a character and I will answer:

Why I like them:

There are SO SO many reasons why I love her!! She’s funny and incredibly knowledgeable about demons and magic and she just genuinely wants to help people! I think kindness is a super underrated trait of hers. She really cares about all of the scoobies and wants them to be happy. 

Why I don’t

Hmmm...So this isn’t something i don’t like about her but rather something i don’t like about the way her character is written: I just feel that shes super underutilized as a character and she’s used too much for comic relief when she should have other roles as well 

Favorite episode (scene if movie)

The season 7 episode “Selfless”. Even though it makes me sad, I love learning more about her backstory and I also think that the episode as a whole is a really good example of how she’s grown as a person

Favorite season/movie

Probably season 5 because I love seeing her happy <3 <3

Favorite line

Its from a season 5 ep where she’s talking about how she has a job at the magic shop and she “has a place in the world now”! It’s so wholesome and pure!

Favorite outfit

Not to be gay but the lingerie set in OMWF is VERY good. I also really like the sleeveless polka dot shirt from “Triangle”/

OTP

Willow and Anya all the wayyyyyyyyyyyy

Brotp

Her friendship with Tara is super sweet and I wish we had gotten more of it. I also fucking love her dynamic with Andrew. 

Head Canon

I’d like to think that she is alive somewhere in the buffyverse and she has realized shes a lesbian and she and Willow are in loveee

Unpopular opinion

Hmmm I’m not sure if I have any unpopular opinions about her? The only one i can think of is that I ship her and Willow more than I ship Tillow, but that’s obviously not about the character specifically. 

A wish

That the other scoobies had taken her more seriously and been kinder and more patient with her in general. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen

I would not want her to end up with Xander

5 words to best describe them

Intelligent, witty, well-meaning, confident, forthright

My nickname for them

I don’t really have a nickname for her

Thanks for the ask!!

#helenisfair #asks #ask memes #replies #anya jenkins #btvs

[rahirah]

kyliafanfiction replied to your post: Out of curiosity

Not counting the unambiguous villains, I’m gonna guess… Tara. Just from everything you’ve said about the kinds of characters/stories you’re into. least favorite of course not meaning ‘hate’ or even 'dislike’

No, not Tara. She's not in my top five, but I don't dislike her, either. I understand why so many people do love her, but she's just not a character type (and Tillow isn't a ship dynamic) that grabs me. I liked her a lot better in S6 after she stood up for herself and broke up with Willow, and of course in true Joss fashion, he immediately killed her off.

I'm fairly sure that some of the reasons I don't cotton to her are more to do with fandom than with the character herself – when I first got into fandom way back when, I stumbled on the Kitten Board, and thought, "Cool! A board for lesbian Buffy fans!" and then discovered their huge and inexplicable hateboner for Spike, and slunk quietly away. And in latter days, fandom tends to fetishize Tara's Goodness and Purity (TM) – you see all these posts about "If Tara had been there, everything would be perfect!" And no, guys. Tara had some fairly major character flaws, just like all the other characters. It was just that hers lay in the direction of being too passive and go-along-to-get-along, and being unwilling or unable to stand up to stronger personalities, so they're not as obvious as, say, Anya's. I see Tara used a lot in pairings where it seems to me that the author's main purpose is to give their favorite character a nice, caring, compliant girlfriend, which the author feels that Fave never got in canon.

#kyliafanfiction #tara maclay #btvs #experiment

[dingoes8myrp]

Buffyverse Ships: Top 5′s

Okay. So, I’ve sworn off OTP’ing because I just can’t limit myself to one “true” pairing. However, I do prefer some ships over others. I’m going to rank three sets of top 5’s below.

Canon: A relationship that has been seen on either Angel the Series or Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which the two characters are an established couple.

Semi-Canon: A relationship that was eluded to, hinted at, or an “almost, but not quite” in either of the shows. This includes one-night stands, flirtations, and flings.

Non-Canon: A relationship that never happened and was never eluded to in the shows.

I haven’t read the comics, so I’m not including those ships here, as I don’t know enough about them to rank them. If there’s a ship not listed and you’d like to know where it ranks, let me know.

Note: I’m always up for hearing alternate points of view on ships! Feel free to try to change my mind about a ship, particularly if it’s one you really enjoy that I’ve ranked too low for your liking (or haven’t ranked at all). It has been known to happen (see Fuffy, Spuffy, and Spander). If you want to point out some unhealthy/problematic things about a ship, please respect those with a differing opinion and try to avoid straight up ship bashing. I welcome all shippers to follow/comment on my blog and I’d like to keep things respectful for everyone in the comments. If Tumblr had a better moderating system I wouldn’t have to say that.

Canon

One: Buffy & Angel

These two are one of my top ships ever. The story arc has everything: a giddy school girl crush, forbidden love, murder, Hell, death, redemption, and teamwork. My favorite thing about Buffy and Angel is their ability to work as a team even when they’re not a couple. They compliment each other so well in terms of occult knowledge and strength. From a storytelling standpoint, this was my favorite ship to watch. It was layered, complicated, and heartbreaking. It’s the one that got me right in the feels the most.

Two: Willow & Oz

I’m so into these two. Oz is my favorite and he and Willow were so cute together in the early stages of their relationship. They’re two nerdy, smart kids who bonded over their nerdiness. And I related so hard to Willow when I was in high school, so they were a bit of a vicarious ship for me, which is why it’s one I’m particularly fond of in general.

Three: Willow & Tara

If I could tie Tillow with Willoz I would, but that’s cheating. The only reason Willoz got the edge was because of my personal relation to it. But, I love Tillow! They started with a friendship that naturally progressed into something more. We see an entirely different side to both women when they’re together. They bring out hidden skills and talents in one another through their mutual strength and encouragement.

Four: Fred & Gunn

This was such an unexpected relationship, but a pleasant surprise. Fred was so sweet and Gunn was so tough, but Fred brought out this sweet side to him I don’t think we would’ve seen otherwise. These two were just adorable. Maybe a little mismatched, but that was one of the things that made it awesome.

Five: Wesley & Lilah

Out of left field came Wesley and Lilah! But, it made so much sense in the context of their storylines as characters. On the surface of this relationship, Wesley and Lilah were born out of convenience where each of them needed the other one. But, as the relationship developed further more layers were revealed and they genuinely had warmth and passion for one another. The blurred lines of morality were great here.

Semi-Canon

One: Faith & Buffy

This relationship is under the surface for most of season three. It’s not only subtext, it’s very nearly text. They had a Single White Female thing going on where they were both envious of one another for different reasons. The fact that they’re both slayers gives them a bond and an understanding of one another hard to find elsewhere.

Two: Cordelia & Doyle

These two brought out some lovely aspects of one another as friends. Cordelia made Doyle more introspective and self-aware. Doyle made Cordelia more humble (unfortunately most of that development occurred because of/after his demise). So much groundwork was laid for this relationship only for it to never happen. It had a lot of potential.

Three: Angel & Cordelia

Both Angel and Cordelia evolved so much over the course of Angel and alongside one another. Cordelia gained a lot of humility and became a hero in her own right. Angel continued his redemption arc and found a new purpose outside of Sunnydale. These two were a very good team, always picking each other up and keeping each other going. That’s the heart of a good relationship, isn’t it?

Four: Angel & Spike

The bromance with these two is so strong. They’re like a bickering married couple and I love it. I can’t find the actual evidence to site, but I know there’s context in the shows eluding to a romantic/sexual past with these two. I definitely buy that it happened. Their chemistry is fantastic. Two old, bitter vampires both trying to redeem themselves and never quite feeling like they do.

Five: Faith & Angel

There’s so much Faith and Angel have in common. They both crossed moral lines that can’t be uncrossed, and they understand important aspects of one another (and forgive them). They have so much chemistry and they support one another. They’re each that person for one another where they could call and ask for any favor. “Hey, I gotta dump a body.” “Damn, alright. Let me get my shovel, but we’re gonna have a talk about this later.”

Non-Canon

One: Buffy & Xander

At any point post-season four I would’ve bought these two as a couple. Mature Xander and Owning-Her-Slayerness Buffy were so ride or die for each other. They’re each other’s heart, strength, and discipline when needed. Again, excellent teamwork always.

Two: Faith & Gunn

These two were gritty and edgy and I think they would’ve complemented each other wonderfully. They would’ve been a badass fighting duo, probably would’ve argued like hell, but they would’ve been hot.

Three: Connor & Dawn

Connor and Dawn are both mystically constructed beings who weren’t meant to exist, but they do, and they have issues as a result. They’d probably connect over this aspect of their lives no one else shares. Connor could train Dawn to fight and defend herself (and feel needed, which is helpful). Dawn could give Connor lots of spirited pep talks and be the little ray of sunshine he desperately needs.

Four: Spike & Dawn

This is a little taboo because Spike became almost like a paternal figure for Dawn, but I do love their dynamic. He’s protective of Dawn and he stands by her unconditionally. Dawn trusts and looks up to Spike, but doesn’t take his crap. This would be an interesting romance.

Five: Xander & Oz

These two always had a great, low-key bromance. There’s a mutual respect there and a cute friendship. I’m not gonna lie, I saw a Tumblr post pointing out they sometimes wear the same shirt but never at the same time, implying these two secretly hooked up here and there and, if they hadn’t been dating other people most of the time, I totally would’ve bought it.

#buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series #dingometa #bangel #willoz #tillow #Fred x Gunn #Wesley x Lilah #fuffy #cordelia x doyle #cangel #spangel #faith x angel #bander #faith x gunn #connor x dawn #spike x dawn #xander x oz #i don't know all the ship names #don't mind my butchered tagging #ship and let ship

[juniperhillpatient]

Buffyverse tagging meme: I was tagged by @rorysummersblog  thank you <3 <3 <3 

top fifteen characters?

1. Buffy 2. Faith 3. Xander 4. Willow 5. Dawn 6. Spike 7. Tara 8. Oz 9. Angel 10. Fred 11. Gunn 12. Wesley 13. Lorne 14. Cordelia 15. Giles

Wow this was tough!

 favorite minor characters?

DRUSILLA (WHY don’t we talk about her more??), Darla, Kendra, Jenny Calendar, Amy Madison, Kate Lockley, Larry, ANDREW (Why does he have so few fans, Andrew is awesome) Jonathan, Clem (Clem is amazing and you know it), Harmony, umm yeah probably more that I can’t think of

ranking of favorite seasons of both shows?

ATS: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5

BTVS: 3, 5, 1, 7, 6, 4, 2

That was so hard! I loved every season of both shows so much. Season 5 of Angel was entertaining but in terms of overall plot it sucked. Season 4 of Buffy almost got last place because the overall plot was a bit of a mess, but it has some of my favorite episodes so it couldn’t be last. Season 2 of Buffy was honestly great, but something had to be last

top ten episodes of both shows?

ATS:

1. City Of 1x1

2. Five by Five 1x18

3. Lullaby 3x9

4. Parting gifts 1x10

Okay I’m going to be honest I haven’t watched Angel in years, those are the episodes that really stick out in my mind. I’m sure there would be more that came to mind if I had re watched it more recently.

BTVS:

1. Chosen 7x22

2. The Zeppo 3x13

3. Spiral 5x20

4. Graduation Day Part 2 3x22

5. Tabula Rasa 6x8

6. Hush 4x10

7. Once More With Feeling 6x7

8. Fool for love 5x7

9. The Gif 5x22

10. The Body 5x16 

ats or btvs?

Btvs

least favorite main character?

Depends who’s being an asshole at the time. Riley. Also Giles BUT only after season 5. Up until season 5 I love Giles and then he kind of turned into an asshole after that which really sucked.

top ten ships?

Spuffy, Fuffy, Tillow, Calendiles, and if we’re talking just in terms of what this website has gotten me interested in – literally any femslash ship that isn’t incest or an adult with a teenager. Other than that like yeah, any two chicks pretty much.

do you write fanfic?

I used to but school made me hella busy and I haven’t in a while

what fanfic do you read?

Anything with an interesting plot and good characterization. I don’t usually seek out a specific ship. If I do though it’s either Spuffy or Fuffy. Or, my not so secret fave, Spandrew xD

When did you start watching?

I watched Buffy and Angel for the first time in ninth grade. I’m twenty and my obsession has never wavered lmao.

Show recommendations for Buffyverse fans?

Dollhouse (Eliza Dushku and Joss Whedon, you can’t go wrong people), iZombie (just because of the genre/general feel and the witty banter), How I Met Your Mother (Idk just the whole group of characters and their dynamic I guess, it’s just funny and great), Parks and Rec (If you like the whole strong female characters thing, you’ll like Parks and Rec plus it’s hilarious), and I’ve been getting into From Dusk Till Dawn the TV series lately. That’s for my fellow vampire/horror fans out there, it’s nothing like Buffy, more like the movie it’s based on but if you like vampires and horror you’ll probably dig it. Also The Vampire Diaries can be kind of dumb but it’s entertaining and almost entirely made up of plots stolen from Buffy. Plus: very attractive cast.

Do you own/collect anything related to the shows?

I have the DVD set for Buffy and decent sized collection of the comics.

How often will you watch an episode?

Idk I go through phases. Pretty often.

How many times have you watched either show all the way through?

Angel, twice at least. Buffy, way, way, way more times than I can count.

five unpopular opinions?

1. Joyce isn’t as bad as the fandom says *runs away from angry mob*

2. Sometimes the fandom can get a liiitttllle too judgy of one another and forget it’s about loving the shows/comics not a certain ship or even a certain character/plotline/season/comic/episode etc. There’s no one way to be a true fan

3. I like “Chosen” better than “The Gift”

4. Liking Dawn on Tumblr isn’t bad, but liking her outside of it is really unpopular. I will defend her at all costs.

5. There’s nothing wrong with loving Spike, he’s an awesome character, but you can love a character and not defend them if they aren’t a morally sound character. It is fiction  

 least favorite thing about the fandom?

Um I guess I said it in my unpopular opinion number 2 but overall I love this fandom so much.

Like if you’re in the Buffyverse fandom I really do consider you family, let’s forget our differences and be buddies, hit me up anytime. Love you btvs/ats fandom <3 <3 <3

It’s like 1 am and idk who to tag

Do this if you see it on your dash and it looks fun! Also if you do it tag me so I can read more people’s thoughts on Buffyverse! <3

#buffyverse #btvs #ats #fandom #tag game #<3