Shanghai Youma Kikai

Jack and the rest of the Shanghai crew. (And Mr. Dandy.)

Shanghai Youma Kikai was a humourous, short-lived manga series (only four chapters long as-of-yet) published in 2000 by Hiromu Arakawa. It's about a group of demon-hunters in in Shanghai, year 2050, struggling financially (only because they can't manage to do a job without destroying half the city.) A young boy, supposedly a prodigy on the subject, begs to join the team. Initially, he is turned down. However, that doesn't stop him from tagging along. He soon learns exactly why they rejected him.

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Tropes used in Shanghai Youma Kikai include:

• Author Appeal: Miss Arakawa mentions in the forward that it's filled with things she likes.
• Beethoven Was an Alien Spy
• Cute Shotaro Boy
• Expy: Jack and Kuo (even Su-An if you squint) managed to make their way into Miss Arakawa's breakout hit; Fullmetal Alchemist.
• It Got Worse
• Meaningful Name
• One-Winged Angel
• Oral Fixation Fixation : Jack is never (ever) seen without a cigarrette.
• Orphaned Series: Though prehaps not for long, since Fullmetal Alchemist has ended Arakawa is discussing bringing it back as a serialization.
• Shout-Out: To (what else?) Fullmetal Alchemist in chapter 3. Does the shirt detail in the bottom panel look familiar?
• Tomato Surprise
• Twenty Minutes Into the Future