Jinki:Extend

Aired in early 2005, Jinki:Extend is a Humongous Mecha series, based on the manga series Jinki and its sequel Jinki: Extend. At first glance, it appears to take itself seriously: A potential pilot (Tsuzaki Aoba) with no previous knowledge of the program is brought in and has to be trained in order to defend earth against the so-called Ancient Jinki. Apparently, a typical save-the-world type mecha series. However...

Jinki:Extend's opening animation is a direct Homage to the opening for the first Mobile Suit Gundam series (0079), and there are certain Gundam-style visual cues in the mecha battles. The series also included various homages, either in the form of characters, or visual cues to several other mecha series: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Martian Successor Nadesico (I know, not wholly a mecha series, but...), even Kannazuki no Miko. (//Possible several others that I simply wasn't aware of, as well... -- Keru)

Due to this, it is difficult to say much about the series beyond the fact that its humor lies in its complete lack of originality. Jinki:Extend might not be the "Every Mecha Show Ever" series, but it certainly hits the major ones.

This show provides examples of:
 * Anachronic Order: The anime version alternates between two main story arcs set in 1998 and 2002, and also has occasional flashbacks / flashforwards to events happing elsewhen.
 * Expressive Hair (more specifically, Rui's hairclips, which look like crab pincers, can pince)
 * Fan Service: Surprisingly nowhere near as much as one might expect from a series about young girls piloting giant robots. The anime averages in at about one fanservice moment per episode.
 * Gadgeteer Genius (Aoba, borderline)
 * Godiva Hair (Shiva)
 * Groin Attack (In the manga, one of the female characters gets wounded over there when a large, mecha-sized blade penetrates her mecha's cockpit. She survives thanks to a rescue by her teammate.)
 * Otaku (Aoba, a plastic model otaku)
 * Rapunzel Hair (Acao. It causes her problems.)
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo (Tsuzaki Shizuka)
 * Team Shot (a direct homage to the final shot in the Gundam op, at that)