Kawauso serves as the central protagonist across multiple official adaptations derived from the source material. Visually, the character appears consistently as either an actual otter or a human wearing an otter costume, creating inherent ambiguity about their true nature.

Within the narratives, Kawauso navigates unpredictable scenarios. In the video game adaptation, the core goal involves attempting to reach Hawaii, a journey characterized by unexpected and illogical transitions to diverse global locations. Gameplay mechanics reinforce this unconventional tone, including traversing background elements like mountains to bypass obstacles and an attack system requiring precise timing to cycle through different moves, portraying a character within rule-breaking situations.

Recurring figures like Kappa, Professor Yamazaki, Mitchie, Shiitake, Tami Inuyama, and Kawanuma consistently appear alongside Kawauso, forming the character's established environment. The portrayals across manga, video game, OVA, and live-action adaptations emphasize Kawauso's immediate situations and reactions within absurd or illogical comedic scenarios, consistent with the source material's genre.