User blog comment:Godisme/The Edge/@comment-2220308-20130131185147/@comment-893506-20130131194727

Well said, God. Many people who want us to list the novel as canon really should have been paying attention. As if many of the contradictions in the novel weren't enough, people should have seen this coming. Kubo left obvious signs in the past chapters. Let's review the signs:

1:) Kenpachi fought "Juhabach". Kenpachi lost that fight HORRIBLY. His eyepatch was gone, and he was unconscious. "Juhabach" didn't even work up a sweat. If you didn't see that he didn't become stronger than his opponent, then something is seriously wrong with you.

2:) After Yamamoto finished his fight, it turned out he was fighting Royd Lloyd. Given that Yamamoto appeared RIGHT AFTER Kenpachi's defeat, Kenpachi did lose to Royd as well. Still in denial? Let me spell it out for you: KENPACHI. LOST. TO. A. HENCHMAN. Get over it.

3:) Kenpachi was thrown into a comatose state for a short time. Yes, he obviously recovered, but he was beaten bad enough to be put into a state. Had Yamamoto not interrupted Royd's savage beating, he would have killed him.

4:) As God put it ever so eloquently, Kubo drove the final nail into the Godpachi coffin by saying he was unconsciously holding himself back this entire time. In other words, he was never getting stronger; he was accessing more of his power he never uses. HUGE difference.

The novel states Kenpachi can make himself stronger than his opponent if his opponent is more powerful than him, but Kubo recently stated otherwise in the story. For all of you who still can't absorb that information and want to insist that the novel is canon, something is seriously wrong with you. And I wouldn't bother trying use the retcon excuse either, because last I checked, Kubo didn't write the novel. Nor did he actually say the phrase "the novel is canon". All he did was praise the novel. Praise does NOT equal canon.