Kenny spends half the entire season working to transform Dawn. Angel spends the entire season working to transform Buffy (to "push" her).
It makes me wonder if the Dawn & Kenny storyline is truly over... Because the end there was pretty unsatisfying. Dawn admits her fault/guilt and ta da! Everything's fine. Where as I can't stomach the thought that Buffy needs to admit her guilt unless she's admitting guilt for giving into the glow and turning on her friends.
Buffy = Dawn
Angel = Kenny
Spike = Nick
Haha. Oh, and Xander = Xander. :P
So yeah, Buffy and Angel is harkening back to Dawn and Kenny. Remember that cover of Dawn and Kenny in his true form, how it was in the style of Beauty and the Beast? There's undercutting the romance.
Season 8 is an Epic (Twisted) Fairytale.