Dragon Ball (Japanese: ドラゴンボール Hepburn: Doragon Bōru) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. The story follows the adventures of Son Goku, from childhood to adulthood, as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the Dragon Balls, seven magical orbs which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.
Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga series of all time. Its collected volumes have sold over 160 million copies in Japan, and are estimated to have sold 250–300 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling manga series. Regarded as one of the most influential manga series and has inspired artists including Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) and Tite Kubo (Bleach)