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, even Kannazuki no Miko.
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.
- 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)