Voice actress Sumire Uesaka, best known for voicing Alya in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian and Nagatoro in Don’t Toy With Me, Nagatoro-san, has shared an unusual drinking experience from a trip to Sakhalin, Russia, where she ended up waking up in a hotel lobby with the lights turned off and the temperature at just 2°C.
Uesaka shared the story on November 8 during the premiere event for the upcoming new film in the Armored Trooper VOTOMS anime franchise. The event featured a segment in which the cast members shared personal experiences of narrowly escaping dangerous situations.
When presenting her story, Uesaka wrote “Getting completely drunk in Sakhalin” on her board before explaining what happened during an event she attended there.
Sumire Uesaka Recalls Drinking Vodka and Berry Juice in Sakhalin
According to Uesaka, she once travelled to Sakhalin for an event and was invited to a welcome party by the local organisers.
She explained that although Sakhalin is part of Russia, she noticed that many people there had relatively Asian-looking facial features. During the gathering, she also encountered an unusual drinking custom, noting that there appeared to be no plain drinking water available.
When she asked whether there were any soft drinks, she was offered a berry juice that tasted like jam.
Uesaka began alternating between the berry juice and vodka. However, the combination had an unexpected effect.
She recalled that the more she drank, the thirstier she became, which made her want even more vodka.
Eventually, she woke up in the lobby of a hotel where all the lights had been turned off. The temperature inside was just 2°C.
Uesaka recalled slowly waking up in the cold lobby with a headache, before deciding to sleep a little longer. Her story drew laughter from the audience at the premiere event.
Sumire Uesaka Joins the New Armored Trooper VOTOMS Movie
Uesaka was among the guests at the November 8 premiere event for Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Witch of the Gray, the franchise’s first completely new theatrical film project in 15 years. The film is being released in two parts, with the first part scheduled to premiere on November 20, 2026.
Directed by Mamoru Oshii, the new project is produced by Sunrise, with Production I.G providing production cooperation.
Uesaka, who has been a fan of the franchise since high school, expressed her excitement about returning to the series after 15 years and getting the opportunity to participate as a cast member.
She voices a mysterious girl in the new film. Although the character does not have a name, Uesaka described her as having a particularly symbolic presence in the story and said she was curious about what kind of person the character would turn out to be.
The premiere event was also attended by director Mamoru Oshii, Miyuki Sawashiro, Masabuki Ando, and Shinichiro Miki.
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Source: Oricon
