Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-27565137-20160415174609/@comment-26091912-20160421132901

Jam17692 wrote: i have two points to make here: 1.Komamura's change in appearance and immortality is the result of the humanization technique not his bankai(which took on a new form because of it) 2.the fact that Ichigo's zanpakutos do not look like katanas is not proof that they aren't sealed, two royal guards have zanpakutos that do not look like katanas when sealed

Yeah, well one's a row boat paddle, and the other's a paint brush. Plus they belong to members of the Royal Guard, so not exactly a valid comparison. Not to mention the physical changes after release are insignificant.

Ichigo was constantly in Shikai prior to acquiring this new Zanpakuto. It looks very similar to his old one, and he can use the same techniques as his old one. So all the tell-tale signs it's his Shikai.