No, it's not the first shonen as is commonly mis-worded, but it set the template for the golden era of shonen with modern classics like Naruto and One Piece crediting it as an influence. It is for that reason everyone should at least give Dragon Ball a shot. As someone who loved the anime, I find the manga to be better. Anyone skeptical of the stereotype that it's just buff dudes yelling to get stronger should especially read the manga because it doesn't have that drawn out nonsense. It is fast-paced, fun for any age, and memorable. Across the ten main storylines, my favorites would be the: Android saga, Namek saga, Red Ribbon saga, Piccolo saga, and the Saiyan saga. The world-building is off the charts. Even the afterlife has its own unique system. It packs just about everything in a natural way that somehow made sense; monsters, dinosaurs, martial arts, aliens, planets, robots, swashbuckling adventures, and wizards. It is Japan's answer to Star Wars. You can't possibly list every main character in one review or sentence because there is a lot to follow. Some were eventually pushed aside and could've had more justice in the end, and the plot does have its holes, but it's easy to overlook when you have this much fun reading. Is Dragon Ball the greatest manga/anime? No, but influenced the greatests and is still definitely up there in the top-tier in its own right.