It's hard to deny the prominence that Ghost in the Shell (GitS) enjoys within the anime world. Shirow's masterpiece is considered iconic of what the medium can present and it's safe to say that watching any incarnation of the franchise is a necessity to appreciating anime. From the original film to the sequel and the Stand Alone Complex television series there's no getting around the fact that GitS is the pinnacle of modern anime. With that being said how does the Individual Eleven hold up?

Much like Laughing Man, Individual Eleven is a highly condensed retelling of a season from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The second year for GitS was very successful and stands as a testament to fine production by I.G. Dubbed 2nd GIG the story spent a fair amount of time telling the plight of the show's main characters and developing an interesting story set far into the future. It was fantastic on just about every level but does a highly compacted version of the season translate well? It really depends on how you look at it.

For all intents and purposes the story in Individual Eleven remains the same. Following the events of the original GitS season (or Laughing Man respectively) Section 9 has been dealing with their restructure and disbandment. The future seemed uncertain for Major Motoko Kusanagi and company but when a group known as the Individual Eleven steps forward to terrorize Japan I think you can guess who the government goes crawling back to.

The time period for this storyline takes place after war has rocked the world and Japan has seen an influx of immigrants and refugees. Societal lines have been drawn and class warfare has begun among the oppressed and weary. It's safe to say that Japan becomes a boiling pot or hotbed of criminal activity and in between it all the name Individual Eleven keeps appearing. Who is this group? What ties do they have to the Japanese government? And just who the heck is the mysterious Gohda anyway? All of these questions appeared during 2nd GIG and remained in Individual Eleven though there's one big difference; the payoff.

While Individual Eleven fine tunes the storyline and answers most questions it doesn't necessarily explore the big picture. Whereas 2nd GIG had the time to delve into depth regarding societal and political commentary, this compressed version of the plot does not. It focuses on action and gives a rudimentary understanding of the story but in the process of doing this many key elements go missing. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but I personally appreciate the "big picture" with my anime and after watching the entirety of 2nd GIG sitting down to view Individual Eleven left me unsatisfied somewhat.

That being said the manner with which this film was edited together is exemplary. So many components were pieced together appropriately that you'll hardly notice any break in quality or missing plots if you haven't seen the full series. It serves as a great introduction to the 2nd GIG storyline without sitting through all 700 minutes. Sure it's a watered down GitS experience but it's still unmistakably Shirow's vision and it runs like a well-oiled machine.

If you watched 2nd GIG then there really is no reason to bite the bullet and pick up Individual Eleven. That being said between this release and Laughing Man viewers who don't want to invest a lot of time or money in the series can get a decent amount of the picture for a fraction of the cost. The story remains fantastic through and through despite the compression from 700 minutes to 161 but you do have to keep in mind that most nuances and thought-provoking commentaries have been swept aside for plot and action. Individual Eleven is a strong stand alone release that fits well within the makeup of the franchise and should be considered if you don't want to sit through the whole season of 2nd GIG.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - 2nd GIG - Individual Eleven is pieced together from the series that originally aired in 2004. The quality of the transfer mirrors that of the DVD release for 2nd GIG and it stands out in terms of quality. The anamorphic widescreen image is absolutely flawless with an immaculate presentation that sets the series above the rest of the field. Seriously folks, the complete absence of grain, compression, and digital artifacts make this a smooth looking program. Add to that some fantastic art design, a color palette, great use of contrast, and fluid animation and you have one of the best looking animes to date.

Another feather in the cap for Individual Eleven is the audio presentation. With both English and Japanese 2.0 and 5.1 selections you're not going to miss a beat depending on your preferred viewing. The dubbing quality for both is exemplary and something to be admired. If only other shows aspired to produce their shows as masterfully as this one the world would be a better place. Technically speaking the 2.0 tracks were functional but the 5.1 was definitely the preferred selection. With an improved sense of immersion the surround tracks come to life at the right moments with intelligent use of the rear channels. It wasn't overwhelming by any means and though it was employed subtly the quality was very high.

A couple of bonus features make their way onto Individual Eleven. Notably "Individual Eleven Archive" (30:31) offers up a conversation between Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko Kusanagi) and Director Kenji Kamiyama. They talk at length about what it took to bring the story from its original run time down to the 161 allotted frame for Individual Eleven. It's certainly interesting to watch what it took to re-edited particular scenes and splice them together to form a fluid experience. Clocking in at 3:50 "Tachikomatic Days" is a significantly lighter feature that puts everyone's favorite Tachikomas front and center. This is a cute little inclusion that has the loveable robots goofing around while investigating a murder. Other than those two features there are only some trailers and DVD credits to look through.

Individual Eleven is a fantastic editing of 2nd GIG and the fact that it's presented in the form of a 161 minute movie makes it an easier pill to swallow for avid GitS fans. The story revolving around Section 9 and the happenings in a post-war Japan are fascinating though I do have to admit that some of the subtleties get lost in the transition to this focalized presentation. If you have already watched the show then there's really no need to check this out because you've seen the big picture. However, if you're a fan of the films and are looking for a way to get more GitS on a budget and without a big commitment of your time then this release is the way to go. Due to the quality of this DVD the release is highly recommended though if you have already watched the series then you can easily consider it a rental.

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