How do you think Buffy has influenced the contemporary vampire drama “True Blood” and the “Twilight” series of novels and films?
This vampire subject reminds me the other series The Vampire Diary, in some way i think The Vampire Diary is more like Buffy than True Blood on the setting of details.
Firstly, Buffy, Twilight and The Vampire Diary are all talking about high school students. But in true blood, the small town coffee shop is where everything first happened.
Secondly, almost all these series has the content of relationships between vampire and human. In Buffy, although she is a slayer, she was in love with angel and spike; Sookie was in love with Bill and Eric in True Blood; and in Twilight, “love” was the most important storyline in the whole progress; also in The Vampire Diary, the relationship between Elena and Stefan, also can count Stefan’s brother Damon in.
Thirdly, except vampires, werewolves are also a main element in both of them. Besides, Buffy, The Vampire Diary and True Blood are all has witches. In True Blood even has fete, shapeshifters and so on.
Finally, the underlying subject of Buffy was a high school girl accepts her nature fight with the evil vampires, demons and other dark forces. But she still tried to fill in the normal teenager life and live in peace. This influenced others very much, both in Twilight, True blood andThe Vampire Diary, all has good and evil sides. And all the “good” creatures want to live in peace with humans, so they have the duty to fight with evil ones to survive.
Overall, the setting and meaning of Buffy has a huge significance, and influenced other cult TV very much. Maybe the setting of details has a little bit difference but the underlying meanings are always staying the same. Well as my point of view, compared with True Blood, I thinkThe Vampire Diary is more similar with Buffy than True Blood.
HI, Andrea
ReplyDeleteI do agree you, actually, whatever genure the love, hate, and all kind of relationships are the main concept.
I don't like vampire stuffs personally but Twilight do share similarities with Buffy (I haven't watch true blood yet). Yet, the similar settings raise the question which was mentioned in Hills (2004) again: "was this cult status solely for attracting fans and viewers for commercial?" [Reader week 9].
ReplyDeleteOne curious point, as I haven't watch the whole Buffy show yet, was Buffy really in love with Spike? O.o It's somewhat surprising but it did happen in other romance novel though :)
I don’t like Twilight very much, I think it moves very slowly, I like the ones that fast and exciting. Well the last few seasons in Buffy, Spike was the main character, maybe because he has too much fans. But for me I think even he replaced Angel’s place in Buffy’s life, he can’t replace the place that angle in Buffy’s heart. I think Buffy still love Angel somehow.
ReplyDeleteActually I do think many elements in vampire subject attract fans and viewers for commercial, Such as the hot smoking characters and the romance between humans and vampires. I don’t know others, mostly I only watch this kind of subject for fan.
Buffy has been created as the main character in centre stage and of course her lovelife should suck in fans' attraction. Furthermore more alternatives or threads for later series can be derived from this. Don't you think? The script writers would think so and are contemplating their new series based on this.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting response and some very good comments. Like in some of your other posts the depth of your argument would have been enhanced had you refered to the ideas in the critical texts.
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