A Thirsty Life (かぶりつき人生 Kaburitsuki jinsei) aka Front Row, Front Row Life, Fan Life, and Life of a Striptease Love is a drama film directed by Tatsumi Kumashiro. Kumashiro's screenplay is based on a novel by Komimasa Tanaka, though the Weissers point out that the plot bears a resemblance to the U.S. musical Gypsy (1962). Kumashiro's directorial debut, A Thirsty Life was well-received by the critics, but a box-office failure. Its lack of popular success caused Nikkatsu to put Kumashiro's directing career on hold for several years while he continued working as a screenwriter. Once Nikkatsu switched to its Roman Porno genre, Kumashiro was again given a chance to direct, and he then became one of the studio's most popular and successful directors. Kumashiro and lead actress, Hatsue Tonooka wer