Great tags about ats. I think the main is problem is people find Angel boring in btvs and I agree he was rather dull. But omg he is one of my fave characters on ats. And after watching ats it's made him more interesting in btvs on my rewatches. Plus Wesley whether you hate or love him has one of the best buffyverse character arcs.
oh yeah, once i finished ats and rewatched buffy (again) i actually began appreciating angel there too. i mean, i still loved making fun of his broody mcbroodster face/existence but suddenly it was a lot more lovingly and not at all in an all-right-get-on-with-it-already way.
as for wesley - i think his arc is kinda complicated and i totally understand why people may hate him (i for one am bitter about certain things... very bitter) but ats’s given me cordy/wesley and cordy/wesley/gunn and angel/wesley/gunn and angel/wesley AND SO MANY OTHER WESLEY RELATIONSHIPS I STILL CARE ABOUT DEEPLY that seriously ... i’d never trade the ats experience for anything.
you just learn to live in denial about certain things and you’re good. for the most part. but then again this is me with almost every show i’ve ever watched so~