Ruri shows Akito the way.

After finishing Nadesico, the obvious follow-up is VanDread. Okay, maybe not "obvious," but for reasons I can't quite explain, I do get similar vibes from the two shows, even though they're pretty different. Objectively, they're really only similar in being space operas with mecha battles and harem-comedy elements. Well, and they both center around a spaceship and its crew.

Hibiki meets Dita the hard way.

As harem comedy leads go, both Akito from Nadesico and Hibiki from VanDread are above average—Akito because he's a decent guy, as opposed to the loathsome deadbeats you'll find in Shuffle! and Da Capo—Hibiki because he's such a punk.