I didn't personally mourn for Buffy, but I was deeply moved by the other character's pain. The same thing for Joyce's death. I certainly would miss her, but watching the pain of her survivors was much more upsetting for me.
'Safe'
Buffy and Angel 1: BUFFYNANGLE4EVA!!!!!1!
Is it better the second time around? Or the third? Or tenth? This is the place to come when you have a burning desire to talk about an old episode that was just re-run.
I didn't start watching Buffy until season 6 and was getting caught up with all the other seasons on FX at the same time, so nothing was a surprise. Still, The Gift gets me every time. I, too, would have been perfectly happy for the show to end there; it seemed suitable and fitting. I'm guessing I would have mourned Buffy if it had been the end; she was a character I highly identified with and I still miss the damn show, every day.
I didn't really identify with Buffy, but I wish I could have. Buffy was kind of everything I wasn't in school. I identified most with Willow(Oh, and William in "Fool For Love")
There's identify with, and there's want to be. I was Xander. I wanted to be Faith.
Edit: Or would have done, if there'd been Buffy in high school. Why wasn't there Buffy in high school? Would have helped! (Blimmin' Dawson's Creek was all there was.)
I totally identified with Buffy, especially in seasons 5&6. And 2. Which is probably why they are my favorite.
Who doesn't want to be Faith? Actually, I have met women who said they didn't, but I think they were fooling themselves.
Who doesn't want to be Faith?
Well, it would be cool to have that "I don't give a shit" attitude that Faith has - but I wouldn't want all her self-hatred. One of the scenes that always makes me tear up is the one in "Who Are You?" when she's beating Buffy (herself) and yelling "you're nothing." Man, that's upsetting.
Maybe to be Faith after she went to prison and liked herself a lot more.
I'll take Faith's body and her mad skills but I'd rather have Xander's personality.
I never wanted to be Faith. She never seemed happy.
I'd rather have Xander's personality.
By season seven, sure. NSM season one.