「酒機嫌十二相之内」 「連れを困らせる酒くせ」

「酒機嫌十二相之内」「連れを困らせる酒くせ」 belongs to a series depicting twelve behavioral types or expressions associated with drunkenness, and this sheet shows the specific figure type designated as 'the drinking habit that troubles one's companions.' Genre series cataloguing human behavioral types were well established in the Edo-period print tradition — Utamaro's physiognomic series and numerous bijin-ga series with classification titles provided the formal precedent. In this image, the composition likely depicts a figure whose drunken behavior — perhaps overly familiar, obstinate, maudlin, or disruptive — is shown creating difficulty for the people around them. The accompanying figure or figures register discomfort or embarrassment through posture and expression. This type of humorous, socially observational genre print (fūzokuga) allowed Kiyochika to work in a mode distinct from his atmospheric landscape subjects, demonstrating the range of his practice. The series format provided both organizational coherence and the opportunity for varied character study across its twelve sheets.