What this show is really good is to have a really slow, mundane setup on the first half before the feels hit you at the last second as if it was planned. Shinozaki's loneliness was utterly felt in visuals until it was broken by the people around him. I felt just as reinvigorated as Shinozaki did at the moment and made me want to cheer him more. Not even caring about winning or losing, simply to see him moving forward. A desire that is shared by the characters in the episode.