WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Aquatope on White Sand, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Aquatope on the White Sand has come at dreams from a different angle from the beginning. Fuuka entered the story having given up on the idol dream that's at the end of the story in many other anime, and the first half of the show was focused on Kukuru's dream of saving Gama Gama Aquarium and all the magic it held. In the end, Kukuru also had to let her dream go, but the anime is hardly leaving that as its final say. The second half of the show is all about building up from the lowest point -- and it has a message that we all deserve to hear.
After a slight time skip, Kukuru and Fuuka, along with most of the Gama Gama gang, have ended up at the larger, more prestigious Tingaara Aquarium. Even this does not lead to a happy ending though. There are conflicts with coworkers and Kukuru's angst over being placed in marketing instead of being an animal attendant. Her boss is tough on her and there's no room for mistakes, and Fuuka's schedule makes it so that even though the two live right next door to each other, days off together are rare. None of the magic that made Gama Game unique has made an appearance.
Moreover, break room politics make it so the former Gama Gama employees are victims of gossip and slander, especially when their old way of doing things comes under fire. It's the type of workplace that all too many are familiar with in real life, and it's completely draining. The frankness with which the show acknowledges such workplace scenarios makes what follows all the more meaningful.
While acknowledging the unfair circumstances the characters currently face, Aquatope uses this low point to help them grow, particularly Kukuru. While Kukuru's insistence upon doing the right thing is admirable, her obstinance in maintaining her beliefs on what's 'right' can get in the way of possible learning opportunities. She fails to see how being placed in marketing is not doubting her skills in an aquarium, but setting her up to be making executive decisions one day. Kukuru also has a habit of extending her hand into other areas of the aquarium and interfering with attendants since she's worked with the animals before, but she repeatedly has to learn that her help is considered meddling.
In perhaps the best demonstration of her stubborn attitude gone awry, Kukuru's constant conflict with a coworker is thrown when she learns that Chiyuu has a young child she's attempting to care for without letting anyone know, as she's lost a position before because of it. While Chiyuu's behavior hasn't been appropriate either, it explains much of what she's done and why she's upset when Kukuru takes the night shifts that she herself can't manage because of her son. In her spite toward Chiyuu and her attitude, Kukuru unwittingly makes the single mother afraid that her child will force her to lose another position.
Even though Kukuru's life hasn't been easy, she is maturing as a person as she realizes that hardships come in many forms. Part of this maturation is made apparent in Episode 17, where Fuuka and Kukuru hold a relaxation day between their two apartments, inviting not only their usual friends but also others they may have bumped heads with, including Chiyuu and her son. Food, drinks and fireworks at the beach are a nice demonstration that while some relationships may involve a bit of arguing, the best thing to do is show forgiveness, swallow your pride and offer a hand. It doesn't make one a weaker person for the ability to admit a mistake and apologize. It's also always okay to ask for help, just as Fuuka and Kukuru constantly do for each other.
However, more than anything else, Aquatope continues to show the value of continuing to try for new dreams, except that it has moved past Gama Gama now and recognizes both the big dreams... and the little ones, which can become all the more important when life gets difficult. Little dreams can be getting friends together for a day off or finishing a report in time. They can be finding peace with a coworker or cooking a nice dinner. They can be spending time with your child or spitting watermelon seeds.
Day by day, little dreams are just as important as the big ones, and having little dreams helps when the big dreams come along. If that dream doesn't work out, The Aquatope on the White Sand is a firm message that failing a dream doesn't make you a failure as well. It simply means you have room for a new dream. As Fuuka says to Kukuru: "You may lose your dream, but you don't lose your future."
