Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール Doragon Bōru
?) is a Japanese
manga series written and illustrated by
Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in
Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters published into 42
tankōbon volumes by
Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel
Journey to the West. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist
Goku from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven mystical orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which can summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls for their own desires. It contains themes of friendship, rivalry, personal loss and victory.
