ufotable founder and representative director Hikaru Kondo posted an apology on the anime studio's official website on Monday after Katsugeki: Touken Ranbu episode director Takuro Takahashi made "inappropriate and unpleasant" comments about the series. Kondo revealed that Takahashi, who directed the anime's eighth episode, made the inappropriate Tweets after the latest episode's premiere while drunk.

Takahashi has no memory of his comments, and the Tweets have been deleted. However, Internet users' records of the messages reveal that Takahashi made vulgar comments about a horse licking the character Yagen Tōshirō in a certain scene. Takahashi said that the way the horse's head was drawn and the sound of the licking made it appear that the horse was a man's genitals. Kondo said that Takahashi as well as the entire ufotable staff is reflecting on his actions and will make an effort to avoid similar problems in the future.

The anime premiered in Japan on Tokyo MX, BS11, Gunma TV, and Tochigi TV on July 2. Aniplex of America is streaming the series on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Amazon's Anime Strike.

Aniplex of America describes the story:

The year is 1863 as the tumultuous samurai era is coming to an end, Japan is split between the pro-shogunate and anti-shogunate factions. The fate of the world is threatened as an army of historical revisionists are sent from the future to alter the course of history. In order to bring these forces down and protect the real history, two sword warriors, spirits who are swords brought to life by Saniwa (sage), rush to Edo. The polite and thoughtful Horikawa Kunihiro and the short tempered yet skillful Izuminokami Kanesada, who served the same master, confront the invading army along with a lively gang of other warriors including Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki, Yagen Toushirou, Tombokiri, and Tsurumaru Kuninaga. As the fate of history lies in these hero's hands, what meets the blade is yet to be uncovered...

DMM's Touken Ranbu "sword personification training game" takes famous swords from Japanese history and interprets them as bishōnen. Nitroplus designed the characters and scenario. The game launched in Japan in 2015, and it has more than 1.5 million registered users. The game has acquired a large female fanbase and inspired a wide range of merchandise, as well as several manga and stage productions.

Update: Summary of Takahashi's comments added.

[Via Nijimen, Yaraon!]