Nothing less than a piece of dream merchandise for the Blood+/Hagi fan who also happens to be a music nerd. It's Hagi's imaginary debut recording of one of Bach's famous cello suites, which pops up in the series as the song that Saya taught Hagi. You'll hear it throughout the series and in just about every episode. The CD features the entire suite while the DVD features recitals of the prelude by both Hagi and his actual cellist, FURUKAWA Nobuo. The Hagi DVD excerpt is mainly just a re-edited montage of shots from the TV series, but will float the boat of any HagixSaya fan. On the other hand, Furukawa's recital is fun to watch if you're, again, a music geek. The CD (ESCL-2795) retails for 3000Y.

DISC 1 CD
Suite for violoncello solo no.5 in C minor(BWV1011)
01. Prelude
02. Allemande
03. Courante
04. Sarabande
05. Gavottes I&II
06. Gigue

(Bonus Track)
07. Prelude Remix (w/words), HANNO Yoshihiro

DISC 2 DVD
01. Hagi Plays Prelude (w/special re-edited TV footage)
02. FURUKAWA Nobuo Plays Prelude

I would say yes; but then I love both Hagi and music (and can still call myself classically trained, though I opt more for British rock these days).

One thing is for sure, however: don't buy this if you're expecting some wonderful, rare Hagi footage 'cos you'll be outta luck. The Hagi recital is pretty much just a rehash of some nice moments from the TV series and is grainy to boot.

I'm rather confuzzled about the poor quality since Furukawa's recital is crystal clear. It's also incredibly engaging; in fact, I like his rendition of the suite a lot and find his approach refreshing (you can hear some bowing in the recording, but not enough to ruin the experience). As far as I know, none of his CDs are available in the US, so having him on this recording sweetens the deal.

The remix is the only place you'll actually hear Hagi. I like it quite a bit because it's discordant without being grating (a lot like the soundtracks for, say, RahXephon) but, I have to admit, the looped samples get on my nerves after a while. It's also jarring to hear footsteps after listening to nothing but cello for 30 minutes!

Oh, I almost forgot: there's not much to the CD sleeve, but what is there was totally worth my $35. Click on the links above to see what I mean!