Last Updated on December 2, 2:57 p.m. (GMT+8): Expanded background information in the final paragraph.
At the Anime Festival Asia 2024 in Singapore, Saori Hayami, one of the most renowned seiyuus (Japanese voice actors), made an appearance. Alongside her was Taichi Ichikawa (Bam), her co-star in the Crunchyroll exclusive title, Tower of God season 2. The stars participated in a Q&A session with fans and performed a short live scene together.
Tower of God season 2 is set approximately five to six years after the events of the first season. Viewers will find it intriguing to observe how the characters have evolved over this period, the extent of their transformations, and the aspects in which they remain unchanged.
While Bam, the leading character, undergoes some radical transformations, Rachel’s character does not get sidelined. Despite having a lesser screen presence, her impact is substantial in the scenes where she appears.
ONE Esports had the opportunity to interview Hayami-san about her role as Rachel in Tower of God season 2. Discussed were her methods, viewpoints, and her experience of working on the series.
Saori Hayami’s approach to playing Rachel in Tower of God season 2
According to Hayami-san, portraying Rachel felt mostly consistent between season 1 and 2. However, she notes that the first season had more scenes that reveal Rachel’s emotions, while the second season is more fraught with tension.
“Rachel’s mental state is always a mystery. Then suddenly, she does something shocking,” said Hayami-san to ONE Esports, referring to her portrayal of Rachel as unpredictable to increase the effect of significant scenes.
Rachel’s character undergoes a dramatic shift from pretending to be handicapped to showing a romantic interest in Khun, and then stabbing Shibisu’s legs in the eleventh episode of Tower of God season 2. After injuring him in a horrifying scene, she repeats the phrase “nothing wrong” which Hayami-san powerfully portrays.
Towards the end of the first season, viewers caught a glimpse of Rachel’s evil laugh. However, it was only in the second season that she fully unleashed her true self through significant actions and a conspicuous verbal response.
When asked about interpreting Rachel’s evil laughter, Hayami-san revealed that she was guided by sound director Takayuki Yamaguchi.
“He’d tell me ‘More, more, more! You can be more terrifying, more intense!’,” Hayami-san recalled with a laugh. “I deliberately aimed to enhance the impact of her evil laughing and dialogue in season 2 by giving it more emphasis.”
“Every time, after I recorded Rachel’s lines and laughter, Yamaguchi-san would exclaim, wow, that’s so terrifying. He said it so often that it’s now etched in my memory,” Hayami-san added.
Contrary to other characters in the series, she finds playing Rachel uniquely enjoyable because the character’s true emotions remain concealed. This air of mystery often challenges viewers to understand Rachel’s feelings better and piques their interest.
Despite Rachel’s dramatic sequences leaving a lasting, perhaps even disturbing impact on audiences, Hayami-san identifies her most poignant experience being a scene from Tower of God season 2 with Nobuhiko Okamoto who voices Khun Aguero Agnes.
Episode 5 of season 2 marks the encounter of these two characters for the first time since Bam’s alleged demise. Their meeting occurs in a safehouse that Khun had organized for their team. While their conversation seems ordinary devoid of emotional intensity, the subtle intonations betray the true intent behind their words.
“Khun and Rachel are trying to decipher each other’s thoughts. It’s this tense scene filled with anticipation that remains a notable memory for me, and it was possible because Okamoto-san and I share a great rapport,” recalled Hayami-san.
When it comes to choosing Tower of God characters she would like to ascend the tower with, just as Khun, Bam, and Rak do, Hayami-san said she would choose Bam for his strength and leadership skills, and Rak for his camaraderie with Bam.
With over a decade of voice acting experience, Saori Hayami is known for her roles in popular anime series like Spy x Family (as Yor Forger), Demon Slayer (as Shinobu Kocho), Genshin Impact (as Kamisato Ayaka), Kakegurui (as Yumeko Jabami), and One Piece (as Yamato).
FURTHER READING: Tower of God season 2 episode count revealed
