The genius Bulma, while searching for the Dragon Balls which can grant any wish, meets a simple minded little boy with a strange monkey tail, Son Goku. Together, they meet many people and many foes in their adventure chasing after the Dragon Balls, with Son Goku progressively learning to be the best fighter. Dragon Ball is loosely based on the Chinese story Saiyuki (Journey to the West) : for example, the main character is based on Son Goku the monkey king.