What is it?

Young Goku sets out in search of the Dragon Balls, seven magical orbs that summon a dragon to grant a wish when gathered. He meets allies on his journey and grows stronger facing rivals and foes. The early chapters lean on comedy, but as the story goes on, explosive fight scenes take over and it becomes pure action.

By the numbers

During its 11-year run it helped Weekly Shōnen Jump reach its peak circulation of 6.53 million copies per week. Multiple anime adaptations made it a worldwide phenomenon. Films and games followed. Later manga artists cite it as a major influence; Eiichiro Oda of One Piece has stated he was inspired by it.

Where to start

The series is complete at 42 volumes and had a major impact on manga and anime worldwide.

Sources

en.wikipedia.org
ja.wikipedia.org
corp.toei-anim.co.jp