Xena Parker 
You all know the ‘I live in a world full of magic, but I can’t use it’ trope in Shonen. Its commonly used to bring about an underdog story, to emphasize that hard work can overcome all obstacles in life. This has been done by series like Black Clover and Mashle just to name a few. The problem always arises in the execution of what the author was trying to do. It’s as if they forget what the show is about, Hard Work.
This is a problem very highlighted in series like Black Clover, where the series starts with the main character actually following the hard work formula, only to deviate from the narrative. Asta and Mashle are prime examples of this. Literally in the first episode of Black Clover, Asta attains ‘Anti Magic‘, a power that is ridiculously broken in a world setting where magic is majorly used. He can nullify magic from the start of the series, and I know he still worked hard to reach where he is, but you can’t deny how uncanny that feels. Mashle on the other hand is just a gag character who can possibly ex-machina his way out of any situation because of muscles. We recently found out that his body was specially made to house a vast array of power, so that undermines his working out routine since he technically didn’t need it.
The difference so far between Will, Asta and Mashle that I see, is how Will operates in the narrative of not having Magic, he feels Human. Will Serfort is a human in a world of magical beings from other worlds and all he has to show them up is a sword. He doesn’t have anti magic like Asta, or freakishly abnormal muscle powers like Mashle, all this kid has, is the strength and skills he has cultivated over the years in pursue of Elfaria, his beloved at the top of the tower. All his hard work shows when he fights. You can actually see him struggle when he does fight, and armed with knowledge, he can find small openings to claim victory against his opponent. With the use of Magical Items and support from his friends, Will can close the gap in power when he needs it. I really love the approach the author took for this trope, and hope that it won’t follow the others. We don’t need Will to have special powers, or come from a lineage of talented people, just give him Excalibur and we are good. Thanks for reading the article, and fell free to comment on what your thoughts are pertaining this topic.
