Here's a good one that's different from all five above points, IMO - the anime series Last Exile.
The two main characters (who I'd guess are in their early teen years) are courier pilots because they're poor and have no family, and happen to have enough skill to fly a "Vanship" (the series' prevalent type of small, stubby air vehicle) decently and keep it from breaking down. It's not that they're better than adults (we see them piloting at a roughly equal level with several adult pilots from their area in a race early on) or that they ended up there by chance - they're just trying to support themselves.
They don't even really get drawn into the series' big-giant-war out of pure chance - in the first ep, they accept a contract to deliver a message to the front lines (though their connection with the conflict is increased by chance events later).
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Date: 2005-01-03 07:51 am (UTC)The two main characters (who I'd guess are in their early teen years) are courier pilots because they're poor and have no family, and happen to have enough skill to fly a "Vanship" (the series' prevalent type of small, stubby air vehicle) decently and keep it from breaking down.
It's not that they're better than adults (we see them piloting at a roughly equal level with several adult pilots from their area in a race early on) or that they ended up there by chance - they're just trying to support themselves.
They don't even really get drawn into the series' big-giant-war out of pure chance - in the first ep, they accept a contract to deliver a message to the front lines (though their connection with the conflict is increased by chance events later).