It looks like they're trying to stop her from drinking...

Wouldn't a safer bet be related to food? Hamakaze's been eating more than Kirby these past few strips.

No, it's drinking. The title is "alcohol prohibited".

NWSiaCB said:

No, it's drinking. The title is "alcohol prohibited".

Plus the drinking done at flower viewings is infamous...

Jarlath said:

Plus the drinking done at flower viewings is infamous...

And they won't have forgotten the last time she got boozed up...

Garrus said:

And they won't have forgotten the last time she got boozed up...

At this point, drunk Hamakaze shenanigans, and the resulting trauma for Akigumo and Hibiki, are a well-established running gag.

It would be funny if the look away (watch the flowers or talk to each other or sumthing) for not even a minute only to find out Hamakaze's already drunk... still I wanna see Hamakaze getting drunk and Admibro coming to the rescue

Garrus said:

And they won't have forgotten the last time she got boozed up...

It would end up all over social media. And not in a good way.

Remember the in universe twitter posts the last time they all went shopping? Multiply that by ten times and then put it on the news - Shipgirls aggressively stripping other people and molesting them in public.

Jarlath said:

It would end up all over social media. And not in a good way.

Remember the in universe twitter posts the last time they all went shopping? Multiply that by ten times and then put it on the news - Shipgirls aggressively stripping other people and molesting them in public.

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time the author has dipped their toe into possible tensions between shipgirls, their commanders and the rest of the world after the abyssal crisis is dealt with.

Garrus said:

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time the author has dipped their toe into possible tensions between shipgirls, their commanders and the rest of the world after the abyssal crisis is dealt with.

This is Japan, which already has tensions over active service personnel. Having one publically molesting someone would be literally a criminal offense. Especially when they are literal living weapons.

Garrus said:

I mean, it wouldn't be the first time the author has dipped their toe into possible tensions between shipgirls, their commanders and the rest of the world after the abyssal crisis is dealt with.

Yes, but I think a public Hamakaze Drunken Frenzy Incident, at least if it were on the same scale as the first one, would be a bit too hardcore for the 2koma series.

Uh, who would even sell them alcohol in the first place? Getting it covertly and drinking on the base is one thing, but beside maybe Hamakaze if you squint they don't look remotely old enough for someone to sell it to them in a public venue.

One can assume that since (by their own statement even) shipgirls don't really age, that they might well be within the drinking age of Japan (currently 20) - plus stores really don't care that much. Additionally, it's perfectly legal for other people to purchase drinks for them (IIRC), unlike some other countries.

Or alternatively, special military exemption to purchase and consume alcohol - it's not like shipgirls are presented as some kind of super military secret or anything in the Koujiverse.

And also - if they're not purchasing alcohol at a tasting event, then it's super fine - the law only restricts the sale, not consumption.