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Technology and tools: which is more important?
As the saying goes, “To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools.” However, experienced technicians can still achieve excellent results even with imperfect tools, thanks to their skills. Conversely, no matter how good the tools are, if the user doesn’t understand how to operate them, the outcome will still fall short.
This principle has also been reflected in the new manga “魔男のイチ,” which began serialization in this year’s Japanese manga magazine “Weekly Shōnen JUMP.” Recently, a certain scene in this manga has sparked a lot of criticism among Japanese netizens; what exactly happened? Let’s take a look together.
The manga’s plot has sparked heated discussion.
In episode 7 of “Magmale’s Ichi,” the manga references a classic discussion about the use of tools, highlighting the importance of “usage.” The manga states: “No matter how excellent a sword is, if used improperly or neglected in maintenance, it can’t even cut through jelly. Conversely, even if it is a dull knife, as long as it is well cared for and sharpened to a keen edge, it can cut through rock.”
This metaphor has made many netizens feel it is overly exaggerated, leading to a lot of ridicule.
This image is from the manga “Majo no Ichi,” originally created by Nishiyu, known for “Iruma-kun.” The illustrations are by Usazaki, known for “Act-Age.”
Majo no Ichi” started serialization this year in “Weekly Shonen JUMP.
Outburst of comments from netizens
A netizen with the username “ひまだ” posted related comic images on Platform X, and an explosion of comments from netizens quickly followed. Most people believe this analogy is too ridiculous and even contains elements of deception—after all, no matter how dull a sword or knife is, how could it possibly fail to cut through jelly?
Some netizens also mentioned similar plots in “One Piece” and believed that the examples given in the latter were more convincing.
In “One Piece,” Zoro’s master once taught him: “The same swordsman using the same sword may be unable to cut paper, but can simultaneously cut through iron.”
This setting clearly makes more sense to the netizens.
The humorous response from the netizens.
The style of online comments has continued the relaxed and humorous style of Japanese internet discussions. Here are some classic comments:
This jelly is too strong, this rock is too weak.
If a knife blade is so dull that it can’t even cut through jelly, how can you eat with a spoon?
At that time, I was just looking casually, but later I thought about it and realized this example is indeed extreme.
Is this jelly made of cement?
To be honest, if we want to illustrate the importance of the usage method, it should be changed to ‘No matter how poor the sword is, it can cut through jelly; no matter how sharp the sword is, it cannot cut through rock.’ right?
Some netizens have pointed out the typo issue in the comic—the character “钝” is considered to have been used incorrectly.
The controversy surrounding the comic “魔男のイチ” not only reflects the bold imagination of the creator in designing metaphors but also sparks a renewed discussion among viewers on the classic topic of “technology and tools.”
Cutting Jelly at Level 999.
As some netizens have mentioned, the core idea behind this plot is to emphasize the user’s skills and methods of operation, rather than the quality of the tool itself.
Although the setting in the comic is exaggerated and controversial, the lessons it conveys cannot be ignored: even the best tools require a reasonable way of usage to maximize their value. This is why experienced craftsmen often manage to create amazing works even under imperfect conditions.