Line #1 Main/PlayfulOtter


1	%%'''''Note:''''' ''This trope is not a list of all otter characters and otter mentions in fiction. It's a trope ''specifically about otters being playful.''
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3	%% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1352266284017540100
4	%% Restored per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1573531738042778500
5	%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
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7	[[quoteright:256:[[Literature/ALotOfOtters https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a-lot-of-otters_1643.jpg]]]]
8	[[caption-width-right:256:The more the merrier.]]
9
10	->''"What are you?"\
11	"I'm an otter."\
12	"And what do you do?"\
13	"I swim around on my back and do cute little human things with my hands."\
14	"You're free to go."''
15	-->-- '''Creator/DenisLeary'''
16
17	Otters are rather funny-looking animals, what with their long, slender bodies, cute faces, and the way they crack clamshells on their bellies. But what makes them even more adorable, is their playful demeanor. Otters often wrestle, slide and play with their food -- actually, they mostly use those fun activities as a way to improve their survival tactics. But still, it's a fun way to do it!
18
19	When used in fiction, otter characters are usually FunPersonified. They are usually depicted as playful, energetic, kind-hearted, optimistic and laid-back, sometimes even mischievous. Otters spend a lot of time in water, so expect them to be good swimmers, who love to have fun in water. Sometimes this overlaps with SurferDude (but otters are usually much more clever, rarely TheDitz). Often there can be a playful antagonism with beavers such as the boistrous otters getting in the way of the [[BusyBeaver workaholic rodents]] engaged in their usual serious labors.
20
21	To recap, if an otter is portrayed in fiction with a joyous, playful or mischievous personality, it's this trope. TruthInTelevision, except for the SurferDude part.
22
23	[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X3AybtLAEk Also, they sound like squeaky toys.]]
24
25	Compare SweetSeal, WarmHeartedWalrus, WeaselMascot, and FriskyFerret.
26
27	----
28	!!Examples of this trope:
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30	[[foldercontrol]]
31
32	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
33	* ''Manga/HeavensDesignTeam'': One chapter is devoted to the creation of the sea otter. Even as it explains how all the adorable things otters do are adaptations to help it survive (like holding hands with other otters to keep from drifting away, and keeping a rock in a pouch in their fur to break open shellfish for eating), Neptune and Shimoda are overcome with CutenessOverload.
34	* Episode 2 of the ''Anime/KemonoFriends'' anime gives us Small-clawed Otter, who employs this trope in full. She's an otter, she plays with everything she can get her hands on, tries to find the fun in everything they're doing, among other things that make her a full-blown otter.
35	* In ''Manga/KillingBites'', Yui Okawa is an otter beastwoman who runs an eating show channel on Youtube. She's cheerful, ditzy and energetic, but enters the King of Killing Bites tournament to [[MonstrousCannibalism eat the other competitors]] as she fights them. Faced with a giant alligator-man, she [[BringMyBrownPants suffers from incontinence]] out of ''happiness'' and keeps getting distracted while striking goofy poses but outwits him at every turn and chokes him out cold after further transforming into a psychotic-looking ''Siamogale melilutra'' giant otter.
36	-->''"Killing Bites is much tougher than I figured. At least it lived up to the promise of a live all-you-can-eat buffet. I imagine my subscriber count has exploded by now. makes a SillyMeGesture Somehow, this is very Meshiuma TV~!]]"''
37	* Mr. 13 of ''Manga/OnePiece'' subverts this trope. He's a small brown otter in sunglasses and a white onesie with purple spots... who also happens to be an agent of the criminal organization Baroque Works. He's at his most dangerous with his [[DualWielding two bladed shell weapons]] and his partner the [[FeatheredFiend violent vulture]] Ms. Friday at his side.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Card Games]]
41	* ''TableTopGame/MagicTheGathering'': [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lutri%2C+the+Spellchaser Lutri, The Spellchaser]] is a hybrid between an otter and an [[ElementalEmbodiment elemental]] -- if that seems like an odd combination to you, welcome to [[MixAndMatchCritters Ikoria]]. It has the otter's classic playful and mischievous streak, combined with a fascination with magic and the ability to duplicate any spell it can "catch." The fact that it will only become your [[BondCreature Companion]] if you have no more than one of any card in your deck, however, implies that it's easily bored and will only forge an eludha bond with a similarly spontaneous mage. It immediately became the most popular of all fifteen Companion creatures before it was even released, but that might have less to do with it's cuteness than the fact that it's abilities make it a GameBreaker in [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/content/commander-format Commander format]]; Lutri actually holds the distinct honor of being the first creature banned from a format before it was acutally released.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
45	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animalympics}}'' features among its athletes a SurferDude otter named Dean Wilson. His chosen style in freestyle swimming involves surfing on his own tail, and he turns springboard diving into a DisneyAcidSequence. [[http://otterfershyuure.ytmnd.com/ Fer shyuuuure!]]
46	* ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'': Towards the end of the film, Marlin, Nemo and friends enlists the help of a bunch of friendly otters to start a "cuddle party" in the middle of the streets, in order to stop the Marine Institute's Transport from taking Dory away. It works.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
50	* The 1969 film ''Film/RingOfBrightWater'' features an executive (Bill Travers, of ''Born Free'' fame) whose life is transformed when he acquires a pet otter, Mij. This otter is rather mischievous and adventurous, which leads to many adventures.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Folklore and Mythology]]
54	* In Japanese folklore, otters are capable of shapeshifting and performing other tricks to play pranks on humans, much like [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]] and {{Tanuki}}.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Literature]]
58	* The absolutely adorable (and mischievous) fenlings of ''Literature/TheBelgariad''.
59	* The Mad House of Otter in ''Literature/TheBookOfTheDunCow'' are careless, sloppy enemies of the fierce but courageous weasels.
60	* The protagonists of ''Literature/EmmetOttersJugBandChristmas'' are of course, otters, who are playful and kind-hearted folks, and sing really well to boot. The Creator/JimHenson puppet adaptation is a Christmas special with a huge following.
61	* Otter of the ''Literature/{{Franklin}}'' books and AnimatedAdaptation is shown as being this.
62	* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' Hermione learns her patronus takes this form when she manages to produce a corporeal one and it happily bounds around the room.
63	* In Hector Hugh Munroe (aka "Creator/{{Saki}}")'s short story, "Laura," the merry-hell-raising heroine is reincarnated as an otter, and continues to raise merry hell.
64	* When Mercer Mayer created the ''Literature/LittleCritter'' SpinOff ''LC and the Critter Kids'', one of the critter kids was a SurferDude otter named Slick Rick (no, not ''[[Music/RickAstley that]]'' [[JustForFun/{{Rickroll}} Rick]]).
65	* ''Literature/{{Oona}}'': [[TheProtagonist Oona]]'s closest friend is Otto, an otter she saved from an oyster net when he was a pup. Otto accompanies Oona on her treasure hunts, and knows tricks such as sit, roll over, walrus (where he stuffs long objects in his mouth to look like walrus tusks), and pufferfish (where he holds his breath and swells up his cheeks).
66	* Every book in the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' series features several otters. Usually led by one named Skipper, they tend to dress and talk like local Seafaring People. The Redwall wiki describes them as playful. The most playful one would probably be Cheek from ''Mattimeo''. They also have a penchant for using ambushes and javelins, and are absolutely ''not'' to be trifled with. Of the various good species, otters are probably the third most dangerous (after badgers and hares).
67	* ''Ring of Bright Water'' again; the original autobiographical book by Gavin Maxwell, who also wrote a children's version called ''The Otter's Story''. Incidentally, Mijbil turned out to be a previously unknown subspecies, now known as Maxwell's Smooth-Coated Otter, or ''Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli''.
68	* In the Norwegian children's book series ''Samson & Roberto,'' in which the cast is comprised of {{Funny Animal}}s, one of the main characters is a female otter named Olli, who works as the resident repairwoman -- at least when she's not fooling around and acting hyper and silly just for the hell of it. [[GeniusDitz She is a supreme repairwoman, though.]]
69	* Mudge, the LoveableRogue in the ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'' novels, and (in later books) his family. In one book it's mentioned that one otter can focus on something serious for a while, but two or more otters is a permanent party.
70	* ''The Treasure Tree'' is the name of a book showing the four personality distinctions of (roughly) Leader, Scientist, People Person, and Fun Guy. These are shown with the animals of, respectively, Lion, Beaver, Golden Retriever, and Otter.
71	* Kylie in ''Literature/{{Windfall}}'' has her moments, though the trope is more often reserved for her younger cousins.
72	* ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows'': Otter is probably the TropeCodifier, always willing to lend a hand and always friendly except if you screw over his friends as a rabbit found out when he was braving the wildwood. The only other character to brave the wildwood is Badger.
73	* In the ''Literature/WinnieThePooh'' book ''Return to the Hundred Acre Wood'', the only new character is an otter named Lottie, who was described in a preview article as "feisty".
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
77	* Pip and Pop, the rather playful otter duo from ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''.
78	* The uncut version of the ''Series/MythBusters'' episode "Ping Pong Ball Flotation" featured a scene where the progression of the attempt to raise the sunken boat was slowed further when a nearby otter swam up into the boat and [[StickyFingers stole one of the ping pong balls]].
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Radio]]
82	* ''Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting'' has urban otters colonizing London. Their natural cheekiness has developed into criminal behavior such as pickpocketing and blagging money by claiming to be a neighbor who was locked out of the house.
83	* ''Radio/CabinPressure'': As per the AlphabeticalThemeNaming of each episode, [[DeadpanSnarker Douglas]], [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex Martin]] and [[TheDitz Arthur]] find themselves visiting Ottery St. Mary, and, as per the Running Gag, start playing games to entertain themselves -- namely, trying to work out how many otters they could use to fill up their plane. That said, the "playful" aspect is played with in a story Douglas makes up to impress Arthur: he claims that the Saint Mary the eponymous town is named after was consumed alive by wild otters, but in the more modern, family-friendly artistic depictions, the otters are just gathering around her feet lovingly.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
87	* ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'' has the Jorries, otters [[MixAndMatchCritters with fish-like tails]]. While sapient, they're described as generally behaving like ordinary otters, relaxing in fair weather and frolicking in storms. They tend to have a good rapport with sailors, and come to the rescue of those in danger on the open sea.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Video Games]]
91	* ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' has Daxter who was turned into an Ottsel (half otter, half weasel). He's a funny bumbling sidekick and a major ButtMonkey whenever he gets a bit annoying.
92	* Oshawott, the water starter in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' and the [[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 sequels]]. Although it does fight if attacked, it still has a playful side as well. Its evolutions, Dewott and Saumurott, avert it, because they're tougher and stronger and not playful.
93	** Buizel and Floatzel, introduced in ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', are also based on otters with a bit of weasel thrown in.
94	* Digital Media had a line of games starring an excitable young cartoon sea otter named Ozzie and a gang of other international critters. Their games were mainly used to teach children about foreign culture (the ''Ozzie's Travels'' line, but there were other games in the field as well, including a science one and an environment one.
95	* ''VideoGame/SpyroAHerosTail'': Spyro meets an otter SurferDude who needs his help to refill a drained pond with water so he can surf again.
96	* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' has the Juggle Pup and [=R&R=] Seal Dream Eaters, who are a otter-seal mixture with gambling as their theme. They're always happy chaps who treat the battlefield as a game, and their LimitBreak has them and Sora play a game of dice.
97	* Sylas in ''VideoGame/{{Armello}}'' is an inversion of the archetype. In a game that is already easy to describe as "''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' but with [[FunnyAnimal cartoon animals]] instead", Sylas the otter has by far [[DisproportionateRetribution the]] [[DoomedHometown darkest]] [[ForcedToWatch backstory]], which has left him as a hollow, hateful husk motivated solely by [[{{Revenge}} a desire to murder the one responsible for his cruel fate]].
98	* Amar from ''VideoGame/MythicOcean'' is an otter-like deity of joy and friendship, with the playfulness, cheer, and bit of a well-meaningly mischievous streak one would expect from a god with their domains.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Webcomics]]
102	* Matt, the DoggedNiceGuy of ''Hodges Pond''.
103	* Bayshore from ''Dogs Days Of Summer''.
104	* A Sunday strip of ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell'' showed an otter doing a boring office job, with the punchline that this was his ''vacation'' from being a Playful Otter.
105	* Scrambles the Tequila Monster from ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'', an alcohol induced hallucination that haunts the cast in the form of a giant purple otter.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Web Animation]]
109	* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': Russell the sea otter started out as an inversion of this, keeping to himself and rarely interacting with other characters. As time progressed, however, he became more social and joined in on fun activities every now and then.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Western Animation]]
113	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doki}}'': Fico the otter is described as the "wild card" of the main cast.
114	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'' there is a female otter named Otter, who is friends with Franklin and characterized as a silly, fun-loving goof. Unfortunately, she moves away very early on in the series, to Franklin's dismay, but she does return for a visit in a later episode (where she is voiced by Creator/MarieveHerington).
115	* The animated series version of ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'' has a group of playful otters that show up occasionally.
116	* Marlene from ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', the spin-off TV series of the Creator/DreamWorksAnimation's ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'', is the token girl character to go alongside the four male penguins.
117	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Go God Go", various future timelines include hyperintelligent otters as one faction.
118	* The titular characters of ''WesternAnimation/PBAndJOtter''.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	%% [[folder:Otter ... er, Other]]
122	%% * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno Otters holding hands.]]
123	%%[[/folder]]
124

Context Main / PlayfulOtter