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No offense, Hikki Fanatic but you may want to change your username if you simply 'moved on' from Utada like she never happened or her music suddenly became irrelevant now that she's only temporarily inactive. This girl, before age 30, is HMV's #24 J-pop Artist ever and the #10 of the 30 Best Japanese Singer ranks, and has sold more records and faster, with as few releases and achieved more overall than any of her peers that debuted at the same time. I'm not saying that there aren't better singer-songwriters, dancers or more influential musical acts, but they are all past and had their golden eras. How many MODERN pop stars can you legitimately say have this sort of lasting impact, prodigious talent and extensive resume right now, especially Japan in, or anywhere else for that matter? I don't even know of another non-American musician as variable as she's been or that appeal to as many different ethnic, racial, age and musical demographics as she has. If and when she ever breaks out big with English material, she'd wipe the floor with 9 out of 10 of them for the fact she does everything herself in the studio short of the photos and shipments to stores. You must be talking about Miracle Hikaru or someone else, 'cuz its not our Hikki~....

People lets not make a mountain out of a mole hill, as cliche as that is, especially considering the following facts:
*Utada has always, since her most prolific period between First Love & Deep River's release always taken relatively extensive breaks between studio albums and new singles (excluding of course her English releases, but hey there was a 5 year difference between Exodus and TITO almost, right?); we know that, unlike Mrs. Ayumi Hamasaki and Koda Kumi, when Hikki has new music-related projects, its ALWAYS an event of the highest quality and public anticipation!
*This isn't at all surprising considering everything that's been happening in her personal life since failing to break significantly in the international markets with EXODUS between the divorce, her mom's drug bust @ the airport, the depression, her half-hearted reception by Island/Def Jam and only God knows what else since she (thankfully in comparison to many of her more famous peers) doesn't shine the spotlight on it much at all.
*She is so NOT pregnant, wherever and whatever she's doing right now (more than likely in Japan), the press and media would've swarmed her alive and made it public knowledge by now; not even Hyde's and Namie Amuro's first born escaped the paparazzi's relentless pursuits (in that way, the Japanese are fairly similar to the rest of the world). Until you hear it from Utada or a source legit and intimate to her, this IS absolute nonsense and shouldn't even be given legitimate dialogue here or anywhere else (though let the record show I'll be overjoyed whenever she gets around to having them).
*Hikki said with her own mouth THAT THIS WAS NOT A FINALIZED RETIREMENT and MERELY a 2-5 year HIATUS to develop personally so she wouldn't have all the scheduling and other demands of being a pop superstar strangling her 'growing'. Did anybody read her formal announcement and acknowledge that she's been pretty darn consistent in keeping her promises? Don't speculate, ARTICULATE the actual evidence before you!
*Utada signed a GLOBAL deal with EMI Music Japan, meaning that whatever language she sings in or wherever she decides to release it, she'll have the full throttle support of the machine that's backed her in Japan success all these years. She's gotta come back and fulfill that if nothing else (wasn't it like 2-4 albums...???!!) If she planned to NEVER return in the first place, why on God's green Earth would she have done that?
*She said in that final big interview with Tokio Hot 100's Chris Peppler that she still considers herself a musician and that she enjoys being one very much. Not to mention, she WOULD be writing lyrics and composing music on said break, just in more widespread sessions that'll likelier than not be on her future releases, and will probably be even more mature and groundbreaking than she could've ever made it before. This all makes sense, and only makes one that much more excited to see what she sounds like upon return (you know it won't be boring or regressive)...

So what's everyone getting up all in arms about??? I know we miss her but its not Utada hadn't been dropping hints of this for a while, or that she hadn't given us a full burst of great new memories (the second Single Collection, her U.Stream concerts, The Wild Life DVD, a mini-EP of 5 new songs, The Official Utada Hikaru Youtube Channel with all her music vids for all to see 4ever!,etc.) Nobody was more disappointed or in initial disappointment than me, but life has gone on fine like it typically does and I'm still listening and talking to others about Utada and her legacy than ever before. It only males her eventual return that by all indications is just short of absolutely guaranteed all the more rewarding once it happens! And make no mistake, it will happen until further notice from the Simple & Clean woman herself...