Updated on December 2, 2:57 p.m. (GMT+8): Added more background information in last paragraph.
Saori Hayami is one of the biggest seiyuus (Japanese voice actor) to headline Anime Festival Asia 2024 in Singapore. Promoting Tower of God season 2, an exclusive Crunchyroll title, she joined costar Taichi Ichikawa (Bam) on stage to answer fan questions and perform a short scene live together.
Tower of God season 2 takes place about five to six years after season 1. For viewers, it’s fun and interesting to note which characters have changed overtime, how much they’ve changed, and in which aspects they didn’t really change at all.
While leading man Bam is the poster child of transformations — literally — Rachel is far from forgotten despite having less scenes because when she does appear, she moves mountains.
Curious about how Hayami-san approached such a complex character like Rachel who spends a good amount of airtime evil laughing, ONE Esports got the chance to ask her about her processes, perspectives, and experience working on Tower of God season 2.
How Saori Hayami approached her role as Rachel in Tower of God season 2
For Hayami-san, she doesn’t feel there’s much change portraying Rachel in Tower of God season 1 and season 2. That said, season 1 had more emotional scenes that allowed viewers to view her emotional state, while season 2 was filled with tension, she points out.
“What does Rachel think? You really cannot tell what she’s thinking. Then all of a sudden, she does something shocking,” Hayami-san explained to ONE Esports on why she intentionally makes Rachel appear “on edge” to create impactful scenes.
Hands down one of the most unpredictable characters in the series, Rachel goes from feigning handicap to almost romancing Khun to stabbing Shibisu’s precious legs in Tower of God season 2 episode 11. After she paralyzes him in a brutal, bloody scene, she repeatedly utters “nothing wrong” that Hayami-san voices in a powerful crescendo.
Towards the end of season 1, fans got a peek at Rachel’s evil laugh, but it’s not until season 2 where she lets go and shows her true self through big actions and this one verbal gesture.
With regards to Rachel’s evil laughter, Hayami-san shared she took cues from sound director Takayuki Yamaguchi.
“He would say ‘More, more, more! You can be more scary, more fierce!,'” Hayami-san laughed. “I intentionally thought about how to make her evil laughter and voice lines more impactful in season 2 and how I can create emphasis.”
“Each time, after I perform Rachel’s lines and laughter, Yamaguchi-san would say, wow, so scary. He repeated that so many times that I can still remember,” Hayami-san added.
Compared to other roles, she finds that the most fun part about playing Rachel is “staying hidden,” where her emotions are not revealed. Because it’s sometimes challenging for the audience to understand what Rachel is feeling, they therefore want to know more.
Even though Rachel’s dramatic scenes may leave a deep, almost distressing impact on viewers, the most significant scene that Hayami-san recalls recording for Tower of God season 2 is with Nobuhiko Okamoto who plays Khun Aguero Agnes.
In season 2 episode 5, we finally get to see these two characters interact for the first time since Bam’s supposed death. He visits her in her room in the safehouse that he had set up for their new team. Even though it appears like a normal conversation that isn’t outwardly emotional, their words are laced with intent.
“Khun and Rachel want to find out what each other is thinking. It’s precisely because Okamoto-san and I know each other very well that we were able to pull off this nervous, tension-filled scene, which leaves a lasting impression on me,” Hayami-san said.
As to which Tower of God characters she would want to climb the tower with as a trio just like Khun, Bam, and Rak, Hayami-san would pick Bam because he’s very strong and has leadership capabilities, as well as Rak because he’s chummy with Bam.
Saori Hayami has more than a decade’s worth of experience in voice acting. Some of her most well-known roles include Yor Forger in Spy x Family, Shinobu Kocho in Demon Slayer, Kamisato Ayaka in Genshin Impact, Yumeko Jabami in Kakegurui, and Yamato in One Piece.
READ MORE: How many episodes are in Tower of God season 2? Episode count revealed
