I have yet to read any virtual series.
If you catch up now, it's only one chapter to read every couple months! The writing is stunning, and I'm so excited about Angel's character arc that I could squeal. *squeal* I'm pining to get fans of all stripes reading and arguing about the thing, because it's so ambitious and intense and provoking. Is it B/A, B/S or S/A? Yes. Muahaha.

I'm surprised you find Buffy annoying.
Buffy can be ditzy, self-centred, hypocritical, cruel, opaque. She's still my favourite character. I like her lots.