If I had one gripe it's MCs, almost sexual, love to the doll.

I mean, I kinda understand what they were going with that and the child-hood flashback and his childhood-girl/friend crying.
He basically loves and likes these dolls more than he likes interacting with others and he drifts away whenever he interacts with them. So the girl might've felt left out and thought he likes dolls more than her.

But I'd prefer it to not make it..... awkward like that (with the grin and all that).
The pervy shin-chan grin doesn't really fit the show/this episode in the first place imho.

Other than that, this was some nice eyecandy for me to enjoy and I hope it'll stay like that.