Hiroko Matsukata (Miho Kanno) is a super busy magazine editor.  Just like any other 28-year-old woman, she enjoys going on dates with her boyfriend, fashion and her private life.  But once she turns her switch into working mode, she sacrifices all that and dedicates her life to work.  That's when her colleagues refer to her as the Hataraki Man (working man).  Her success at work however doesn't give her total satisfaction.  She constantly questions: "Why do I chose work over my boyfriend?" "What am I working for?" These are the questions all working people have asked themselves once, and the viewers can't help relating themselves to Hiroko's experiences.

"Why do people work?"  The viewers and the characters of this uplifting drama search for the answer through different types of working people, who all imply different answers to the question: a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, mission, obligation, happiness, or...?

故事的主人公松方弘子（菅野美穗饰）28岁，是JIDAI杂志的编辑，工作效率奇高，头脑亦很清醒，工作在她人生所占的比例比其它都高。她的人生信条是「工作第一，爱情第二」，所以在工作及感情生活之间，她会毫不犹豫地选择前者。当工作的电话响起，即使有跟男朋友的约会都会优先工作。她认为这种生活没什么问题，男朋友能够体谅亦很应该。她一旦进入工作状态就废寝忘食，她对工作的狂热，对工作的认真态度不禁让男人们也甘拜下风，因而得了「工作狂」的称号。

可是无论对工作如何的狂热，有时候也不禁会问「人生为何要工作?」、 「工作到底是什么? 」。「工作狂」这个作品正是为了探讨不同的人，不同工作心态而描写的电视剧。