>>296965792/2
I like how they handled how retractable claws are handled. Retractable claws are rare outside of cats, and they gave one of the few animals that do have them zero digits. However, as
>>29691512 shows, the shells the line has are made of keratin and are equated as the lines' claws. The whole idea that the line has keratin manifested as shells that grow, retract, ripped off and reattached seamlessly is such an odd quirk, yet it is important because the samurai theme hinges on this idea that only Game Freak would come up with. Even the lines' gnarly facial hair hallmarks how odd of an idea this is. It's an interest touch at the end that, despite the changes in appearance and utility of the shells throughout the course of the line, shiny Samurott's chest pattern looks like Oshawott's chest shell.
/vp/ will never like Samurott, and I don't blame it. I was in the camp that disliked the line when Oshawott was revealed and Wottergate happened. Over time, and over several depicitions, I've really grown to the ideas and how they were executed in the line. I wholeheartedly agree that showing Samurott using its swords on land is as helpful in making a case for it as shooting yourself in the foot. I don't particularly see a problem with Razor Blade being executed with the polearm since it's still a blade made from the same material as the swords. Even more puzzling is that Gen V introduced other quadrupeds in the same generation that used blade-based moves and did them with the horns on their heads. Razor Blade also lost any connotation of being a scalchop/seamitar-exclusive move in Gen VI. I don't think Samurott being a quadruped is an inherent flaw, especially when it has ways to fight given any situation integrated into its design that are a thematic upgrade to Oshawott and Dewott. I'm just disappointed in the one track approach of how it fights throughout its depictions, despite all the interesting ideas and concepts they put on an otter.
