Dr. Stone Author Reaches 50 Million Copies Sold Across His Whole Career
Dr. Stone’s writer, Riichiro Inagaki, is one of the best-selling authors in the manga industry after a 25-year career, establishing three iconic series.
With the announcement of Dr. Stone reaching 20 million copies sold on March 21, 2026, we got a final tally of writer Riichiro Inagaki’s works across his 25 year-career.
Across his works, he had reached a total of 50 million copies sold.
As of July 2025, his first and biggest successful series, Eyeshield 21’s (2002-2009), drawn by One Punch Man’s Yusuke Murata attained 27 million copies within its 37 volumes.
Around the release of Dr. Stone, Inagaki would write Trillion Game’s (2020-2025), drawn by Ryoichi Ikegami for Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior and this gained 1.5 million copies as of 2023 within its 11 volumes.
His other works include his two 2001 one-shots Nandodemo Roku Gatsu Jū San Hi “Any Number of Times on the 13th of June”) and Square Freeze, as well as Love Love Santa (2002).
After finishing Eyeshield 21 in 2009 and before making Dr. Stone, he would make more one-shots, such as “Kiba&Kiba”, with Bonjae (2010), “Shinpai Kato No Face (2011) and “Alpha Centauri Zoo” with Katsunori Matsui (2014), and Kobushi Zamurai (2015), which would be his first collaboration with Ikegami.
Aside from Dr. Stone, three biggest works were adapted into anime.
Eyeshield 21 was produced by Studio Gallop (the studio behind the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise) first aired on April 6, 2005 and ended on March 19, 2008 with 145 episodes
However, the anime only adapted up to Chapter 240 of the 333-chapter manga.
This is the story of Sena Kobayakawa, a timid, frail boy yet quite agile and is quite skilled in American football, resulting in his team hiding his identity behind a helmet with an eyeshield, thus Eyeshield 21 was born.
The anime adaptation has contributed to the popularity of America football within Japan.
There has been no update on a revival or continuation.
Meanwhile, Trillion Game was adapted into two different live-action formats, first as a 10-episode Netflix drama released from July 14 to September 15, 2023, and a live-action film on February 14, 2025.
A 26-episode anime by Madhouse (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Hunter x Hunter 2011 and Death Note), adapting only up to Chapter 52 out of its 86 chapters.
This is the story of two young men, Haru and Gaku, the founders of the company Trillion Game who become the first Japanese people to be listed in the top 10 of The World’s Billionaires.
Like Eyeshield 21, there is no announcement on a sequel.
Source: Twitter
The compiled volumes of all manga of Inagaki Riichiro (Dr Stone, Eyeshield 21 and Trillion Games) have a total of more than 50 million copies in circulation in Japan! pic.twitter.com/k12J6ofIoh
— Manga Mogura RE (Anime & Manga News) (@MangaMoguraRE) March 22, 2026
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