I wouldn't think that her sickness was "planned", If u catch those live performance on CBTM and FYI aired on CBS morning show, she's really struggling with her voice... she preferred to use her normal talking voice instead, which i think is less taxing on her vocal chords. And when she does use her diaphragm to sing, its kinda tight.

I do agree with shurikid, it really depends too on the kind of song she sings live, most of her Flavor of Life performance are quite good, despite being so called "after excessive smoking and drinking". infact, she already liked alcohol during her be my last days (seen from smap x smap bistro)...

Utada's retirement won't be in the near future i suppose, although ghostdog u mention that she keeps bringing up the word "retire" in the hawaii interview. Retiring is always wat working people think, like the end of their career. Its always easy to promise something before retirement. Anyway "hoping to make a cover CD, where the artists she mentioned are not even japanese... and then hoping to have some live performance in the US, and hinting that if she will, it would be something awesome" means she at least still have the heart to keep moving on in the US. Well i do think jim jam is right about her feeling bored with making music, which is why the cover CD... hahahaha. After 10 years of rigorous work... maybe she is... but music is in her blood!!! she will do something that's somehow related to it anyhow

Hikki kinda likes to take things easy though. I remember her saying that she doesn't like to plan stuff, cos u'll never know what would happen next. Like in this TiTo case, she didn't expect her sickness to come at such timing, which then lose her momentum... and she goes like, "oh well i didn't really plan anything big at 1st anyway. Let it be then... might as well take the chance and rest, and come back again another time " Well, she could since she's still so young, and she's a smart girl alright!