In movies such as Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises, Hisaishi uses a single melody throughout the films as a reflection on the main character showing how the characters surroundings and feelings are changing as well as how the character develops throughout the film. In movies such as Spirited Away and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Hisaishi does not use a single melody throughout the entire piece. Rather, he orchestrates pieces that are seemingly entirely different for each scene. In this paper I will not only show that Hisaishi uses both methods but also why both tactics are effective in supporting character development and story building.