Somali and the Forest Spirit is a warm, comforting show about the father-daughter relationship between a golem and the little human girl he finds in the forest. Since humans are endangered in this world, he resolves to protect her until he can find her real parents. Fittingly, the OP is a sweet lullaby about how much the two appreciate and care for one another, with orchestral backing reminiscent of Ghibli or classic Disney movies. The visuals depict Somali and Golem adventuring together through stunning fantasy environments, priming us for another episode of wholesome entertainment that’s just as satisfying as burying our faces in a warm towel.

Contrary to what its odd title might suggest, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun is one of the best anime on the air this season. We urge you to give this occult-themed mystery romance show a shot, or at the very least, check out its surprisingly kickass OP. Peppered with the whispers of rumors underneath its hard rock beats, “No. 7” stylishly introduces us to Kamome Academy and its rogue gallery of School Wonders, chief among whom is best-boy Hanako-kun himself. But why is he being attacked by what looks like his own shadow? Who are all of the silhouetted School Mysteries? Where did the rumor radio even come from? You’ll have to watch the show itself to find out!

As a long-running shounen series, Black Clover has had its fair share of opening themes. However, the 10th OP “Black Catcher” stands out from the pack with its starkly shaded black and white animation, rain effects, and upbeat piano-backed J-rock music. It beautifully depicts how Asta and the other Black Bulls save the cursed Secre Swallowtail from the darkness that has followed her for 500 years, even though their own struggles weigh them down along the way. With memorable animation and a catchy tune from veteran singer Vickeblanka, “Black Catcher” has jumped straight to the top of many fans’ “favorite OPs” lists.

This gloriously hedonistic anime about a group of guys who review monster girl brothels has an appropriately ridiculous OP to go along with it. “Ikouze☆Paradise” is a glorious celebration of perversion sung by the main characters to the tune of what sounds like a lost Village People song (complete with spelling out “OPPAI” in the full version). Stunk, Zel, and Crim are joined by their entourage of horny cohorts as they march all over the red-light district, getting more and more haggard as the night wears on. But, just like their naughty bits, they rise up once again to experience all that the succu-girls have to offer! Yes, this OP is stupid, but it’s the very best kind of stupid and fits the tone of Interspecies Reviewers perfectly.

Who would’ve thought that ska, rap, and J-rock could join forces to create the best OP of the season? Rap duo chelmico provides a colorful, wacky charm to “Easy Breezy”, the irresistibly catchy opening for Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, a Masaaki Yuasa-directed anime about a ragtag group of students who pool their talents to make amazing anime together. Asakusa, Mizusaki, and Kanamori dance awkwardly but enthusiastically against kaleidoscopic visuals that represent each of their personalities, rivaling JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s famous “torture dance” in terms of pure absurdity. Be sure to check out chelmico’s official music video as well – it captures the pure, unhinged imaginative power of this anime almost as well as the OP does.