Yup, it might not sound that old but when you compare him to other shonen MCs like Naruto (in his era), Ichigo, Tanjiro, Deku, Luffy, Yuji and a long ass etcetera, you quickly realize that his age isn't common.
Also, portraying him as a failure since chapter one is another extremely rare thing to see in Shonens. You usually see them starting their dream or getting involved in their respective plot lines but when you look at Kafka, at chapter 1 he is portrayed as someone who not only failed to achieve his dream but who also broke his promise to his best friend.