Well, what really got me into anime (back during my middle school days) was Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programs, all which aired after midnight usually. I remember staying up and watching Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Yu Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha, The Big O, Outlaw Star, and few others that slip my mind at the moment. Before this, the only anime I watched as a kid was Pokemon, which I wasn't even aware of was anime.