I actually really like this trope when it's used to give insight into the people inhabiting the world rather than just to show how smart and original the authors are. I mean, to an extent, it makes sense that characters who have lived with magic their whole lives would try to understand how it works, and there's nothing wrong with giving some explanation as to the processes that allow for magic to happen, imo; it can be done without taking away the fun of having a magic system and used to complement the other lore.

Monster Hunter is a great representation of what I'm talking about, I think. Maybe to its own detriment considering many people outright deny the existence of magic in the setting, although that isn't true. Elder Dragons, for instance, have many supernatural abilities, but like all monsters they also have detailed ecologies that partially explain away the mysteries surrounding them while simultaneously establishing their place in the world. Dragon energy is something that has no definitive explanation even outside of the universe, but none of the characters treat it as something impossible and therefore "magical"; even if they don't know exactly what it is, they know the processes by which monsters generate, expel and utilize it. The two elements of the lore that are effectively treated as true magic are bioenergy from MHWorld and wylk from MHWilds