Claim: Some action figures have stemmed from Dragon Ball.

is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama . The initial manga , written and illustrated by Toriyama , was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995 , with the 519 individual chapters collected into 42 tankōbon volumes by its publisher Shueisha . Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West . The series follows the adventures of the protagonist , Son Goku , from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls , which 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 .   The Dragon Ball manga has been adapted into two anime series produced by Toei Animation : Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z , which together were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996 . Additionally , the studio has developed 19 animated feature films and three television specials , as well as two anime sequel series titled Dragon Ball GT -LRB- 1996 -- 1997 -RRB- and Dragon Ball Super -LRB- 2015 -- present -RRB- . From 2009 to 2015 , a revised , faster-paced version of Dragon Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai , in which most of the original version 's footage not featured in the manga is removed . Several companies have developed various types of merchandising based on the series leading to a large media franchise that includes films , both animated and live-action , collectible trading card games , numerous action figures , along with several collections of soundtracks and a large number of video games . As of November 2014 , the franchise generated $ 5 billion in merchandise , making Dragon Ball one of the most merchandisable anime based media franchises of all time .   Since its release , Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga and anime series of all time . The manga 's 42 volumes have sold over 156 million copies in Japan and more than 240 million copies worldwide , making it the third best-selling manga series in history . Reviewers have praised the art , characterization , and humor of the story . It is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made , with many manga artists citing Dragon Ball as a source of inspiration for their own now popular works . The anime , particularly Dragon Ball Z , is also highly popular in various countries and was arguably one of the most influential in boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture .