Portraits
Alice Otsu
Alice Otsu is a Japanese adult-film performer whose work has also included idol music, dance and rap. Known in music as ARIS, she was part of BLACK DIAMOND’s original lineup.
Alice Otsu
The person behind the name
Born in Chiba Prefecture on December 19, 1993, Alice Otsu performs in Japanese as 乙アリス. Her experience stretches from adult film to the idol group Marshmallow 3d+ and the dance-and-vocal project BLACK DIAMOND. Dance was part of her life before those groups: she studied classical ballet as a child and later tried belly dance at university.
As ARIS, she joined BLACK DIAMOND for its 2023 debut and contributed to its early recordings and performances before leaving in February 2024. Her interviews describe the work behind that move: auditions, new choreography, rap parts and the challenge of singing in English. Away from performance, she developed an interest in motorcycling and spoke about learning to ride in a detailed 2024 interview.
Learning the road, one ride at a timeDance before the microphone
Otsu’s dance experience began with classical ballet in childhood. During university she explored belly dance, adding a different movement vocabulary to that early training. She mentioned both experiences when introducing herself in a music interview, long before the discussion turned to BLACK DIAMOND’s recordings.
Dance remained something she wanted audiences to notice. When the new group introduced its members in 2023, she highlighted her love of dancing alongside her earlier idol work. Her move into a dance-and-vocal unit followed years of performing, rather than being her first encounter with a stage.
A career under two stage names
乙アリス is the Japanese professional name associated with her film work; ARIS is the name she used in BLACK DIAMOND. In a January 2024 interview, she described having spent around ten years in the adult industry. She also spoke candidly about having experienced both busier and quieter periods during that career.
Her public appearance changed along the way. After keeping long dark hair for six years, she decided to cut it short and go blonde. She described the change as a sudden decision. The shorter hairstyle also became part of the visual identity seen in her music portraits.
The Marshmallow 3d+ chapter
Before BLACK DIAMOND, Otsu was a member of Marshmallow 3d+. She described it as a younger-sister-style idol group and spent several years performing within that format. By early 2023, she wanted a different kind of musical challenge and an opportunity to reach people outside Japan.
She graduated from Marshmallow 3d+ on March 11, 2023, shortly before BLACK DIAMOND’s debut releases. Even with that earlier experience, she later said the new project felt very different. Starting again meant adapting to a new working environment as well as learning another group’s material.
Portraits
Auditioning for a wider audience
The prospect of an international project persuaded her to audition for BLACK DIAMOND. She applied through the selection process, joining an original lineup of ANRI, ARIS, MARY, L.V and MIIRO. Each member brought a separate professional history to the group.
For ARIS, reaching audiences abroad was a specific ambition. By January 2024, she could describe a small example of that connection: while visiting Taiwan for work as Alice Otsu, someone recognised her as BLACK DIAMOND’s ARIS and knew the group’s music. She recalled being pleased that the recordings had reached them.
Early songs and a place in the sound
BLACK DIAMOND debuted with the digital tracks Super Duper and hungry spider on March 21, 2023. SING YOUR DREAM followed as its third single. The group also presented a showcase at Zepp Haneda, giving its early repertoire a live setting.
ARIS often handled rap passages. Discussing ROPE in January 2024, L.V singled out the character she brought to one of those sections, while MIIRO praised both her rap and dance. English-language recording created a different challenge: ARIS said pronunciation was difficult and that ANRI frequently helped her.
A chapter with a clear ending
In January 2024, BLACK DIAMOND began a run of weekly releases with Gain and ROPE. ARIS described Gain as an intense track, while she heard a mixture of delicacy and struggle in ROPE. Her comments offered two contrasting ways into the group’s expanding repertoire.
Her membership ended in February 2024, before the group’s first headline concert at Zepp DiverCity. The later four-member performances belong to a different chapter of BLACK DIAMOND’s history. Her own contribution is part of its original formation, debut period and early recordings.